


We're Starting At The End

by Farisya



Series: Let's Be Alone Together [1]
Category: Pacific Rim (Movies)
Genre: ALL THE ANGST, Alternate Universe - Post-Canon, Alternate Universe - Pre-Canon, Chuck Hansen Lives, Exposition, F/M, Hansens have communication issues, I am not apologizing for the names., I mean what else do I tag? This is pretty self explanatory., M/M, Minor Cross-Fandom character appearances, Non-Linear Narrative, Slow Burn, There are more Hansens
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-12-24
Updated: 2018-04-09
Packaged: 2018-11-03 02:58:23
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 46
Words: 166,208
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10958226
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Farisya/pseuds/Farisya
Summary: Chuck Hansen returned to consciousness in stages. First he registered the distinct smell of heavy disinfectants and the faintest traces of Australian Sandalwood shampoo, which meant his sister was around. Then the sound of a frustrated seppo arguing with a small child filtered in and it took Chuck a few minutes to realize that it was indeed Raleigh Becket arguing with his niece. Then he heard the distinct sound of Mako Mori laughing, a sound he was proud to have elicited from her three times in the years he’d known her, and he knew he was alive. Mako Mori would never laugh in Heaven; she’d be kicking his ass back to earth to fight rather than let him lounge around all day. Besides, he knew there wasn’t a Heaven, the appearance of the Kaiju proved that to him when he was ten years old.“Hey there, kid. You’re awake."A Chuck lives AU, because that is what this fandom is built on. Now with the official playlist.





	1. Let's be Alone Together

**Author's Note:**

> Official playlist available here: https://open.spotify.com/user/yjwibxq14jod6dzpepst6r9fo?si=JZNuxEqPS7aGxIJsbPnv4Q

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello! 
> 
> Welcome to the story. This is the repost of the first chapter which I wrote way back in May of this year (2017). I didn't have a beta then and I was still fleshing out the end of this story whilst working on a completely different fic about Labyrinth that I've still yet to post because it is a monster. I adore Pacific Rim, it combines monsters and robots and has wonderfully conceived characters that warm the cockles of my nerdy little heart. I began writing this after a three day binge of Kaiju movies with my roommate. I showed her the deleted scene, that is in the novelization but not the film, between Chuck and Herc after the hallway fight and she made the comment that Chuck acts like a shitty little brother who's been inadequately parented by his father but overly parented by some unknown sibling off screen. A plot bunny appeared in my head and I couldn't let it go. 
> 
> I wrote fifteen chapters of this story in two weeks and bullied a good friend of mine into beta-ing the rest of the chapters after he laughed his ass off at the premise and told me I was insane. (He's not wrong.) So, here, just in time for Christmas, is the reposting of the entire story, with major and minor edits and fully beta'd by someone who possibly loves monster and robot movies more than me, possibly.

\-----January 12, 2025-----

**1630 HRS, Gipsy Danger Escape Pod, Marianas Trench, Pacific Ocean**

“You’re squeezing me too tight.”

Mako let go of Raleigh and huffed out a nervous chuckle as she leaned her forehead against his. A voice suddenly garbled over the comms of both Rangers’ drivesuits. 

“Rangers Becket and Mori, look around you, is there any sign of a third pod?”

The rough sound of the Australian woman’s voice pushed both Rangers to immediately sit up and stare at each other. Neither Ranger could speak for a moment and when the voice came over the comms again, both of them could hear the eye roll the woman made back in LOCCENT.

“Rangers. Look around you. Do you see a third pod?”

Mako, the least injured of the two, gingerly clambered to her feet to balance on the top of Raleigh’s escape pod. “Negative LOCCENT. There is no pod.” Then, after a brief glance to Raleigh, “I am not sure there was time to eject. Sensei would not have left any opportunity for the kaiju.”

The familiar voice of Marshal Hercules Hansen crackled over the comms this time, though the emotion in it betrayed the hope he felt. “Rangers, we have reason to suspect that Stacker may have knocked Chuck unconscious and activated his pod while arming the payload.”

Raleigh, spurred on by the Marshal, struggled out of his damaged pod and climbed up next to Mako. The two Rangers could already hear the choppers coming to their rescue, but both Rangers were focused on scanning the surrounding ocean for the tell-tale neon colors of a pod’s beacon and the glint of sunshine on metal. After several minutes of searching the waves for any sign, Raleigh gripped Mako’s hand tightly and spoke to LOCCENT.

“Still negative. We do not have visual confirmation. What does SONAR read?”

This time Chief LOCCENT Operator Tendo Choi’s voice came over the comms. “Too much debris, Becket boy. We got bits of Jaeger and Kaiju floating around everywhere. Hard to tell what’s what out there. Choppers are already beginning a grid search, but we figure with the implosion, Chuck’s pod probably came up somewhere near you guys.”

Raleigh seriously appreciated Tendo’s ability to relay the pertinent facts without denying his Rangers hope. The man’s complete faith in his pilots was legendary, especially his faith in the Beckets. 

Suddenly Mako let out a yelp. Much like she had when Raleigh’s pod emerged, she dove into the water and began frantically swimming, though like everything else the young Ranger did, the desperation she felt was overwhelmed by her skill. Raleigh looked out over the ocean in the direction Mako was swimming towards and also let out a strangled noise. 

“LOCCENT. Mako has visual confirmation of the pod. She is swimming to it.”

Without waiting for a response, Raleigh also dove into the water. He realized as soon as he moved to make his first forward stroke, though, that his right arm was definitely broken and that it wasn’t Mako’s crushing hug that hurt his chest, he definitely had some broken ribs. He also concluded that he had at least broken his right leg when his first kick didn’t propel him as far forward as expected. Still, five years of mental and physical anguish on the Wall prepared him to deal with this pain. If he had a chance to keep the Hansen family whole, he was going to take it, just like Chuck said. He owed the Hansens more than he owed anyone except Mako Mori. 

Mako reached the heavily damaged pod first. She hauled herself up with difficulty, her earlier swim and the stress of closing the breach finally catching up with her. As before, she narrated her actions to LOCCENT, though this time she did so with much more detail knowing that medical would need to know everything about the pod’s condition to gauge Chuck’s radiation exposure. 

“There is much damage to the hull. None of the radiation shielding is seriously compromised. There are cracks along the left side and a major deformation in the middle.” She grunted with effort as she tried to manually engage the pod’s release hatch and suddenly found herself pushed aside as Raleigh pulled himself up and forced the mechanism open. Raleigh reached inside the pod as Mako kept talking to LOCCENT.

“Chuck’s suit appears to be intact. Oh. Chuck-kun. Raleigh is he breathing?”

Raleigh gingerly pulled the other Ranger’s helmet off as he assessed the partially melted pieces of suit around Chuck’s torso and upper arms. He remembered his own suit looking much the same after Knifehead and grit his teeth as he predicted the hell Chuck would endure healing those scars. Raleigh barely heard Mako as he took the Ranger’s pulse. 

“LOCCENT. We have a pulse. He’s alive.”

Mako choked out a cry sob and reached down to help Raleigh loosen the Ranger from the damaged pod. Somebody, probably Tendo if Raleigh was a betting man, opened the channel to let the two Rangers hear the massive celebration and crying going on in the Dome from their announcement that Chuck was alive. Mako huffed and insisted the channel be closed so they could concentrate on assessing the Australian’s condition and the comms immediately fell silent. 

“If there’s anybody in medical who dealt with getting me out of my suit after Knifehead, then they need to be the first person Chuck sees when the choppers land. His drivesuit is partially melted from the feedback all over his upper torso and down his left side. Mako, careful with that right leg. It’s probably broken. Well look at that kid, we’re gonna have matching scars. The way this pod is beat up, LOCCENT, we’re definitely dealing with broken ribs too and possibly a broken pelvis. Mako do you see any blood?”

“No. I believe the modifications Mr. Choi and I made to the pods ¬were successful.” She grinned at Raleigh. 

“No kidding. Hey! Look at that, sleeping beauty is waking up.”

\------12 Hours Later----

Charlotte Hansen and her daughter Stella sat, fully dressed in PPE hazmat gear, between the three hospital beds which housed all three surviving Rangers from Operation Pitfall. Rangers Mori and Becket refused to be in any room that did not contain the other _and_ Ranger Hansen. All three pilots were being treated for mild radiation poisoning and the two conscious pilots saw no point in forcing the Australian to endure the isolation without their pleasant company. 

Raleigh, for his part, was not currently conscious. He went through a round of surgery to set the broken bones in his right leg and the fractured ulna of his right arm and was sporting new scars on his right shoulder and arm to match the ones left over from Knifehead. The med-techs were forced to sedate him on the chopper when he refused treatment in favor of making sure Mako and Chuck were receiving all the techs’ attention. Chuck was also unconscious. He’d gone through eight hours of surgery to remove the pieces of drivesuit that melted to his skin, leaving behind the angry scars that reflected the circuitry of the suit all across his upper torso. Some patches of skin had already started to blister from the radiation, but the doctors were hoping to avoid skin grafts. He’d also had his own right wrist set, as well as a right femur and some internal bleeding corrected. 

Stella Hansen, with all the patience a nearly five-year-old could manage, was quietly playing chess with Mako and waiting for Raleigh and Chuck to wake up from sedation. Charlotte Hansen was even less patiently waiting, but instead of playing chess she was furiously tapping away on her tablet answering emails about the success of Pitfall. She was also contacting the network of people that she and Stacker spent the last two years cultivating. These were the people who would allow the PPDC to officially separate from the UN and operate independently, the people who wouldn’t vote to defund the Jaeger program out of spite and fear. 

The whoosh of the hospital room’s door opening pulled Charlotte’s attention away from her angry email to a particularly obtuse aide de camp to US Ambassador Taylor. Standing just inside the doorway was a very large, ginger Australian wearing scrubs that were a bit too tight in the chest and thighs and looking extremely uncomfortable. Stella looked up from the game and hopped to her feet. She leapt into the man’s arms with a shout of “grandpa” and latched onto his shoulders, chattering away about how she’d finally beaten Mako at chess and that she was going to learn Go next. Hercules Hansen held his granddaughter tightly and took her spot in the chair next to the chess board.

“They woken up yet?” 

The newly minted PPDC Marshal’s voice was gruff with exhaustion and too much emotion. Charlotte laid an assessing look on the man and narrowed her eyes. 

“You slept yet?”

“Charlotte.” The large ginger glared and grit his teeth.

“Hercules.” The equally ginger and only slightly smaller woman quirked an eyebrow and smirked. 

“Fine. I will go to sleep when you give me an update on my son and the other Rangers’ conditions, but not before.”

“I accept your terms, old man.”

“Don’t call me that.”

Charlotte’s smirk only grew and she shared a meaningful look with Mako. “Sasha and Aleksis woke up a few hours back. Sasha is spewin’ that she’s confined to the bed with her legs broken and Aleksis is his usual stoic self. I told the nurses to give them complete updates on the three amigos here. Mako will be released in a couple weeks once they’re sure that her ribs are healed and she won’t work herself into a coma if they let her leave. Raleigh and Chuck will be here for a while. They both have burns and breaks that will force them to remain confined to bed for at least a month. The bloody drongos will be impossible to deal with, but the docs don’t see any reason they won’t be fighting fit at the end of it. Though now that Raleigh has piloted solo twice, he has more scarring on his brain. He may be able to pilot again, especially if he has a partner as compatible as Mako. Both of them should be awake within the next few hours.”

Marshal Hansen nodded and hugged his granddaughter tight again as she took out the second of Mako’s bishops. “Strewth, the two of them will be at each other’s throats by the end of this.”

Charlotte cast a loving glance at Chuck and a grin in Raleigh’s direction. “I dunno, dad. I think the two of them will surprise us, yeah? Especially once Chuck realizes who it was that fussed over him so badly he had to be sedated, eh.”

Hercules Hansen studied his daughter. Charlotte Hansen inherited his red hair, height, and personality and all of her mother’s beauty. But she also developed the ability to remain completely impassive at all times from her years spent around the recently deceased Marshal Pentecost. Now that the Breach was closed and her brother alive and well next to her, she radiated calm. The fury that typically rode just under the skin of both his children was certainly relaxed in her and yet he could still sense through the faintest tendril of their years-old ghost drift that she was gearing up for a new war. 

“If ya say so, Charlie.” 

“I do, old man. I do.”

“Oi! What did I say?”

\-----January 15, 2025----

**0832 HRS, Hong Kong Shatterdome, Med-bay, Room 26—Occupants: Ranger Raleigh Becket, Ranger Chuck Hansen, Ranger Mako Mori**

Chuck Hansen returned to consciousness in stages. First he registered the distinct smell of heavy disinfectants and the faintest traces of Australian Sandalwood shampoo, which meant his sister was around. Then the sound of a frustrated seppo arguing with a small child filtered in and it took Chuck a few minutes to realize that it was indeed Raleigh Becket arguing with his niece. Then he heard the distinct sound of Mako Mori laughing, a sound he was proud to have elicited from her three times in the years he’d known her, and he knew he was alive. Mako Mori would never laugh in Heaven; she’d be kicking his ass back to earth to fight rather than let him lounge around all day. Besides, he knew there wasn’t a Heaven, the appearance of the Kaiju proved that to him when he was ten years old. 

Finally, Chuck cracked his eyelids and immediately flinched from the over-bright fluorescents of the hospital room. The motion silenced the room and he felt someone grab his hand, squeezing and talking to him. He opened his mouth to speak but found that his mouth was too dry. The hand holding his let go and he groaned from the loss of contact, but it was soon replaced as a straw was gingerly inserted between his lips. Chuck slurped greedily, and managed to focus on the person hanging over him. 

The sight surprised him. Raleigh Becket, propped up on crutches and sporting a cast decorated suspiciously like one of Striker Eureka’s arms, was holding the cup to his mouth and Mako was holding his hand like he’d just woken up from a nap instead of being half dead. Realizing that Chuck was completely aware now, Raleigh smiled, and damn did Chuck want to see that smile again. It was much better than the kicked puppy look the has-been sported when he arrived at the Dome. 

“Hey there kid. You’re awake. Stella,” Raleigh gestured behind him, towards the door. “Has already taken off like a rocket to get your welcoming committee. Mako and I finally convinced them to get some sleep and eat yesterday. Herc and your sister still spent two hours in here earlier doing paperwork though.”

“Raleigh, stop talking,” Mako interrupted, gently. 

Raleigh managed to keep smiling at Chuck and look sheepishly at his drift partner at the same time before he collapsed into the second chair at Chuck’s bedside. He dropped the crutches to the ground and scooted the chair closer to offer more water, which Chuck happily accepted. He felt like he’d tried to eat a Box Jellyfish. Mako continued to grin down at him, which was incredibly comforting, unlike Raleigh’s manic puppy smile which was pinging some uncomfortable emotions. 

“Chuck-kun, Sensei knocked you unconscious when he activated the bomb. He ejected your pod seconds before detonation. You surfaced after we did because of the water displacement, but we found you. We are all being treated for radiation exposure and you had surgery to set bones, fix some internal bleeding, and remove your drivesuit.” Mako smirked, an unusual sight and glanced at Raleigh. “You will have matching scars with Raleigh.”

Chuck glared at her. He didn’t want to match anything with the has-been. He wanted to get up and out of this bed and run before his sister came. The history Raleigh and his sister shared was fraught and he certainly didn’t want her anywhere near him while he was injured. She was too much like his father but with none of dad’s protective, guilt-ridden silence. Charlotte would be the death of him, he was sure. Especially since she insisted on _talking_ about his feelings, not her own, but his. The drift, and ghosting afterwards, was never enough for his sister. Now that he’d share something in common with his childhood hero, Charlotte would expect him to make friends with Raleigh. Before he could contemplate how to dodge Mako and Raleigh for a walkabout, though, his sister burst into the room, pulling on a mask. 

Mako noticed Chuck’s terrified expression and turned to face Charlotte Hansen. Raleigh nearly flinched at the look on Mako’s face, it was the same expression she wore while facing Leatherback down in Victoria Harbour. He felt the surge of protectiveness across the ghost drift and glanced between the Hansen siblings. Everything he remembered about Charlotte told him that Chuck should not look that scared of his sister, she loved him as much as he’d loved Yancy. This time Raleigh did flinch. Yancy would have killed him for willingly detonating a bomb and leaving him alone to watch as he died. Chuck definitely had reason to fear his sister. Charlotte and Yancy were identical in their obsession with their younger siblings’ safety. Charlotte just quirked an eyebrow at Mako, mouth hidden behind the mask, and tilted her head. 

“Mako, I’m not going to hit him or yell at him, I swear. I just want to hug the bastard.”

Mako echoed Charlotte’s expression and glanced at Raleigh. “Chuck-kun just woke up. Hugs are out of the question. Hug Raleigh.”

Raleigh smirked at Mako’s snark. He knew his copilot was fully capable of being as devious and sarcastic as himself, but seeing it in action was exciting. He also knew that Charlotte did want to hug him, she’d hugged him at least thirty times since he’d woken up two days ago. So he turned his chair and magnanimously opened his arms to the irate ginger Amazon woman. 

“Put your arms down you stupid seppo. Mako, let her have a go. She was ghosting hard when Striker blew.”

Mako flinched at the mention of Striker Eureka’s demise, but she stood and allowed the six-foot Australian woman to take her place on Chuck’s bed. The siblings glared at each other, Charlotte gripping Chuck’s left hand in a bruising grip. Mako moved to stand next to Raleigh and projected a sense of bemused exasperation across the ghost drift. He was a bit rankled by Chuck’s statement. 

As far as he knew, Chuck and Charlotte hadn’t piloted together since Taurax hit the Philippines in 2022. There was no way the siblings should still be ghosting after nearly four years. Never mind that the younger Hansen pilots had a drift synchronicity only the Kaidonovskys exceeded and held the record for fastest Kaiju takedown of Spinejackal at three and a half hours. The Kaiju never got within spitting distance of Melbourne, Charlotte and Chuck held the Miracle Mile and never gave an inch. Now, watching Charlotte embrace her brother carefully, he realized that they were still ghosting if only faintly. He wondered if that’s why Yancy was still hanging around. 

Finally, though, the siblings stopped ghosting with each other and Charlotte reached up and poked hard at some of the bandaging covering Chuck’s shoulders. 

“Ow! You bloody witch! That hurts.”

“Good. Serves you right. You and Herc both failed to call me after the Double Event. I didn’t know Herc was hurt or that you earned some new drivesuit scars on those pegs of yours. Stacks called. Made me swear not to leave Sydney with Stella until he sent word. He swore to me that he’d keep you alive.” Without looking away from her contrite brother, Charlotte gently clasped Mako’s hand, apologizing for bringing up the Marshal. “So I had to listen to the LOCCENT feed Tendo patched me into for sixteen hours while Stella and I raced here. Stacker gave me enough time to get here to watch the world end with Herc or save you.”

“I had a chance, Charlotte.”

“And you took it. I’m proud of you for that. But I’ve never been so scared in my life. Not even Scissure scared me as bad.”

Chuck frowned. He hated upsetting his sister. It had been the two of them alone for so long and for all that everyone assumed he was a grumpy, emotionally constipated asshole, he loved his sister and shared more with her than even his own father, despite the drift. 

“Sorry, Charlotte.”

“S’alright. I gave Stacker Raleigh’s location. Needed someone other than Mako here that I trusted to watch your back. Stacker made me keep Stella in Sydney. Said he wasn’t gonna allow anyone else to hold the line if Pitfall failed.”

Raleigh perked up at that. When he’d run after Knifehead, Charlotte was the one who’d helped him hide from the PPDC, insisting he stay in contact with her. Pentecost showing up at the Wall in Sitka was such a surprise he never considered that Charlotte might have given him up to the Marshal. Never considered himself someone she trusted enough to watch out for her family. He’d spent too many years alone after Yancy died, Mako and Charlotte were the only people he’d let get close in all that time. He realized someone was talking to him and looked up to find Chuck smirking at him and Charlotte rolling her eyes. 

“Oi, you there, Ray?” Chuck growled out, voice still rough from disuse. And fuck if the gravel in that tone didn’t sound enticing. 

“It’s Raleigh.”

Chuck made to retort and Charlotte smacked his chest lightly. “Shut it, you bastard. You know how to say his name.”

“Yeah, but…”

“But nothing. You two are going to be roomies for a long while. If you can’t keep it civil between you then I will personally share every bit of embarrassing information I have on the both of you. So, make a show of good faith here and say his goddamned name right.”

Raleigh and Chuck glanced at each other, mirrored looks of total fear on their faces. Mako smirked and chimed in. “I will do the same.”

“Raleigh,” Chuck ground out, “You feel like doing another runner and taking me with you, mate?”

“Um. Sure. But what about Max?”

Both women snickered as Chuck realized he couldn’t leave without his beloved bulldog. Satisfied that Chuck was awake and aware enough for more visitors, Charlotte hopped off her brother’s bed and let her father, daughter, and a specially outfitted Max into the room. 

Predictably, Chuck ignored the humans and shouted for his dog. Max ignored his human, though, and went straight for Raleigh, who hefted the bulldog into his lap and positioned him to face Chuck. Herc grinned at his son, overjoyed to see him awake. Watching him interact with Raleigh with minimal sniping was nice too. He’d known for years that the two of them would be great friends. Watching Chuck screw that up the last two weeks was another strike against him as a father in his opinion. 

He knew Charlotte kept tabs on her friend and that she’d wanted nothing more than to introduce her brother to his childhood hero. And now with the Breach closed and his family reunited, Herc hoped that Raleigh would stick around and join the motley Hansen crew. Mako was as much his kid as Charlotte or Chuck and hopefully the lure of remaining close to his copilot would keep the man around. 

Chuck needed someone like Raleigh around. He refused to listen to Herc, having spent too much time in his father’s head, and Charlotte was just as likely to encourage his behavior as curb it. Mako was no wilting flower, but she and Chuck always solved their problems in the Kwoon rather than talking it out. Raleigh would balance him. Force him to talk about things with someone other than Charlotte and fight someone he didn’t know well enough to beat half the time. Herc happily watched his family interacting, little Stella keeping all of the Rangers amused and Max happily curled up next to Chuck. He bloody well hoped that the Kaiju stayed beaten long enough for his family to rest.


	2. Some People Got The Real Problems

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Originally posted May 22, 2017. Fully edited and Beta'd as of December 24, 2017. 
> 
> Any other mistakes are mine. 
> 
> You guys are awesome btw. 
> 
> Happy Christmas!

\------January 24, 2025-----

**1555 HRS, Hong Kong Shatterdome, Med-bay, Room 26—Occupants: Ranger Raleigh Becket, Ranger Chuck Hansen**

Sasha and Aleksis Kaidonovsky were the longest serving pilots of a Mark I Jaeger and used up the remainder of their luck when Aleksis managed to rip his drowning wife from Cherno and swim past Leatherback’s fists in Victoria Harbour. Twelve days of recovery from Kaiju Blue and six casts between the two of them for various broken bones had done nothing to diminish the Russians’ ability to intimidate everyone who met them. Sasha managed to look even more terrifying with her head wrapped in gauze. The Russians now sat across from Raleigh and Chuck, playing poker. 

Mako was allowed to leave the med-bay for a few hours every day to help Tendo and Charlotte with all the paperwork Charlotte needed done to keep the UN’s fingers out of the PPDC. And they had no Jaegers. Tendo and Mako were the heads of the Mark III Restoration program and spearheaded the proposals for Mark VI and VII Jaegers. Mako could walk without crutches and work from a desk easily enough, so she was allowed out for short periods of time. None of the med-techs or doctors commented on the fact that the other two rangers she shared a room with were decidedly nicer to each other without Mako around. 

Playing poker with the Russians, who’d unceremoniously wheeled themselves into the other Rangers’ room the same day Mako went on provisional release, gave the two men an outlet for their cabin fever. Neither Sasha nor Aleksis spoke very much, but they did act as a pair of silent guardians against the dark thoughts both of the younger Rangers were prone to suffering. They were also card sharks and neither Raleigh nor Chuck, no strangers to poker, could catch the Russians cheating. 

Chuck finally threw down his cards after losing the fifth hand in a row and pointed a finger in Aleksis’ face. “You bloody wanker. There is no way you are this good. Ray, tell me he’s not that good.”

Raleigh smirked, letting the ‘Ray’ slide, and tossed down his own losing hand. “No, you’re just that bad, kid.”

“Oi! I am not a kid.”

Sasha calmly interrupted. “Oh, but you are Little Hansen. Youngest Jaeger pilot at sixteen. Makes no difference that you are now young man. You will always be little Chuck fighting with his sister in Dome and playing with Max.” 

Chuck blushed but glared at Sasha. Raleigh stopped smirking and broke into a wide smile. “You know Charlotte had some good stories of her little brother at the Academy.”

Chuck blushed harder and turned his glare on Raleigh. He was suddenly concerned that Charlotte revealed a bit too much about which Jaeger posters were tacked to the walls of their room in whatever Dome Herc was stationed in. “Half of whatever she told ya isn’t true, yeah? And for the rest of it I was a child.”

Raleigh kept smiling. “Hmm. Way I hear it, you were an evil little shit who only got along with Charlotte, Max, and the J-Techs.”

Chuck frowned. “Well, yeah. My Uncle Scott is a bludger who only joined up cause Herc forced him to and Charlotte and I weren’t exactly on speaking terms with the old man for a few years, yeah? J-Techs let me work on Lucky Seven and taught me something.”

Raleigh stopped smiling. The Kaidonovskys quietly began collecting chips and reshuffling cards, they shared a look and smiled, content to watch the younger Rangers figure out that they could be friends.

“You know Lotte never told us anything really embarrassing about you right? She was as bad as well, um, as Yancy when it came to you. He always used to say that he was the only one allowed to talk shit about me. Something about it being his right as my big brother. Lotte was the exact same. _Is_ the exact same. She never told any stories that would humiliate you, man.”

Chuck was stunned. In the days since he’d woken up, any vague reference to the dead Becket brother was met with stony silence and a zoned out Raleigh. That he’d just, almost casually, brought his brother up in conversation to describe Charlotte was a shock. Wisely though, Chuck chose to ignore the significance of Yancy in his new friendship with Raleigh and focus on the rest of what Raleigh said. 

“Lotte? Who the fuck came up with that name? You know she hates it when people call her that.”

Raleigh grinned. “Yance. When he found out that you hated being called Charlie by anyone but your sister, he said he had to have an equally annoying nickname for her. ‘Sides she was the youngest and smallest recruit in the Academy, Yance wanted to call her Little Lotte. And did ‘til she kicked his ass all over the Kwoon.”

“And you had nothin’ to do with it, eh?” Chuck smirked. 

“Little Becket is reason _Phantom of the Opera_ is banned from all Shatterdomes.” Aleksis Kaidonovsky interrupted. 

Raleigh blushed and snorted, looking away from the ginger Australian. Chuck stared at Aleksis and Raleigh. “No. I need this story, mate. Come on!”

Sasha laughed. “After graduation, when Lotte was assigned to Vladivostok as engineer, Little Becket arranged for Phantom randomly to play from every speaker in Dome for a week. Many did not understand joke until box arrives at end of week with projector, large screen, and movie. There was also letter explaining situation. It made name stick.” 

Chuck laughed out loud, dimples appearing in both cheeks. Sasha grinned, still looking like a shark and Aleksis smirked. “She does not hate name. She is simply picky on who is allowed to speak it. We get _Phantom_ banned from all domes, we are allowed to use Lotte. Now Little Becket, Little Hansen, prepare to lose again. Aleksis deal.”

The giant, grinning Russian obeyed his wife’s command and dealt out another hand of poker. Raleigh bluffed his way through the next three hands and cleaned the Russians out forcing them to withdraw. They left the cards and the room for physical therapy. Once they were gone, Chuck paused in shuffling the cards and the look on his face told Raleigh that a bad idea was about to come out of the younger man’s mouth. 

“Eh, mate, whaddya say we make this game more interesting yeah?”

Raleigh rolled his eyes, he knew that look was trouble. He’d seen it on his own face too many times. “What do you define as interesting?”

“Well, normally I’d say strip poker, but the broken bones make that one difficult. So, what about secrets, yeah?”

“Secrets.” Raleigh deadpanned. 

“Yeah. Whoever loses the hand has to share something they’ve never told anyone, outside the drift of course, and the winner gets to ask one question about it.”

“I feel like this is a recipe for one of us getting punched.”

“Nah. I’m rootin’ bored is all. I promise not to smack you as long you do the same.”

Raleigh considered the proposal. He was just as bored as the kid and only so many movies and old TV shows could occupy their time. Books weren’t the same on a tablet and they’d very nearly come to blows playing Egyptian Ratscrew three days prior. But for all the bluster and arguments Chuck dealt him, he begrudgingly admitted that the kid was becoming his friend. They simply had too much time together and too much in common to fight about stupid shit anymore. And Chuck’s whole near death experience and the reappearance of his sister seemed to calm him down a bit. 

“Fine. Any off limits topics?”

“Up to you, mate. Feel like there ain’t much point in hidin’ anything from ya. We’re gonna be stuck together in here and then PT for a while after, might as well get to know each other.”

Raleigh smirked. “Chuck, was that your way of asking to be my friend?”

“Oh shut up, you fucking wanker. Here, you deal. Damn cast is killing my coordination.” He slid the loosely shuffled deck over to Raleigh, who was already in a soft cast and missing most of the bandages on his new scarring. 

Raleigh dealt the cards out for Texas Hold’em and began the game. Twenty minutes later, Chuck was swearing up a storm, only half of which Raleigh understood because Australian slang was hilariously incomprehensible, and folding his three and five of spades to Raleigh’s flush. 

“No bitchin’ Chuck, this was your idea. Come on. Share.”

“Fuck you, Ray. That last turn was shit. You had a measly pair of twos and then bam, my straight is blown.”

“Not my fault, kid. Now spill.” Raleigh shuffled the deck while Chuck thought of something to share. Finally, the kid, blushing a little, looked up and sighed. 

“You remember that signed poster of you standing in front of Gipsy that you sent Charlie?”

Raleigh frowned, feeling a bit disappointed in this secret. “Yeah? Yance and I both signed it, didn’t we?” Chuck nodded. “What about it?”

“Well, uh, she gave it to me. She thought it would be funny cause you were my first crush, yeah?” Raleigh’s eyes widened. He was quickly reevaluating some of his assumptions about Chuck, but he remained silent. 

“You were everything I wanted to be. The youngest active pilot, in the coolest Jaeger, piloting with your brother. And you were hot. Charlie, uh, she always wanted dad out of Jaegers and standing next to Stacker, yeah? Said that we were gonna be the next Becket boys when Striker was completed. And, well, you two were her best friends. Mako and I didn’t count, ‘cause we were family. You two were the first people not to treat her differently cause of Herc and Scott. She never stopped talking about you guys when she was in the academy and so I kinda developed a bit of hero worship. Then I got a look at you and that was it. I was completely smitten. Course that was also when I realized that it wasn’t just girls that interested me, so that was new. And then Charlie let slip one night that you’d stayed up with her gossiping about boys at the academy and I knew that we were meant to be. 

“Charlie mocked me about it. She wasn’t mean. I just suddenly started getting packages of limited edition Gipsy merch. And then that poster arrived as a late birthday present. You’d taken down Clawhook and I’d just turned fourteen. I was a year away from the Academy accepting me and becoming exactly like you. When I finally did go, Charlie was already dad’s copilot but she kept the poster for me and told me it didn’t matter if the two of us never climbed in a pod together because we’d still be more awesome than the Becket boys.”

Raleigh stared, mouth hanging a bit, at Chuck. He never would have guessed any of that. Never. And now he had to think of a question that wouldn’t get him hit. “So, uh. Um. What happened to the poster?”

Chuck blushed and turned to stare at the wall. “I tore it in half the day Charlie was censured for helping you run. Commander Quan turned up at my bunk in the Ranger quarters at the Academy and told me to pack. Herc called me mid-flight and told me what happened and when I got to the Sydney dome, I marched right into mine and Charlie’s room and ripped it off the wall. She was grounded at Kodiak, ya know. Dad and I had to wait two months to see her after that. Stella was kicking and all that by the time we got leave to see her.”

Raleigh frowned. “I’m sorry, Chuck.”

“No. Wasn’t your fault. I drifted with her after, yeah? Saw everything that happened. I still hated you for running, but I couldn’t blame her for trying to help her friend.”

“Still…”

“Nope. Secret’s out. Time to deal.”

Raleigh studied Chuck’s face. He seemed a little embarrassed, but otherwise completely relaxed. Raleigh on the other hand was feeling more than a little guilty about getting Lotte in trouble. He balanced it out by feeling incredibly smug about being Chuck’s first crush. Sighing, Raleigh dealt the new hand. This time they both bluffed their way through and only Chuck’s six of diamonds beat Raleigh’s five of clubs as the high card. 

Chuck plopped his head down onto his left hand and stared expectantly across the table at the other Ranger. Raleigh finally clenched his jaw and shuffled a few times to work up the courage to get his biggest secret out. Mako saw in the drift and he knew Charlotte had been told by the person who helped him, but he’d told no one this story since it happened. He believed he could trust Chuck though, and if they were going to be friends, this was certainly something he felt compelled to share. Gritting his teeth one last time, he exhaled slowly and looked Chuck straight in the eye. 

“I tried to commit suicide after Knifehead.” Chuck’s eyes bugged out of his head and he sat up bone-straight, but stayed silent. “They kept me sedated in medical for close to a month running scans and letting me heal up. But when they started weaning me off the pain killers, I could still feel Yancy. I was ghosting hard and since he got ripped out mid-drift, I could hear him. Kept seeing him in the room too. Lotte told me it was to be expected, but she wasn’t seeing him walk by and smile like nothing was wrong only to have him ripped out of my head again and again every time I closed my eyes.” Raleigh laid his hands flat on the table, looking for a bit of stability. Chuck reached across and gently clasped Raleigh’s right hand, careful of the cast. 

“It was too much. Then they released me and suddenly the Marshal is informing me that the Powers that Be wanted me back in a Jaeger. Lotte threw a fit. Even Pentecost looked pissed off. Your sister had me packed with as much warm clothing as she could manage and enough cash to keep me clothed and fed for at least a year. I got the feeling she’d been ready with supplies since I woke up. Three hours after that meeting I was in the wind. I swore I’d always keep in contact with her and let her know everywhere I moved to. Six months later I slit my wrists. Only thing that saved my life was this guy I was working odd jobs for in Juneau came by and beat down the door. He got me treatment and refused to let me leave for a year. He was a Desert Storm Vet and he basically became my therapist. Talked me through the grief and then let me go when he was sure I had my head on halfway straight again.”

Chuck stayed silent, though he moved his hand slightly away from Raleigh’s and curled a fist. “Do ya still ghost with him?”

Raleigh was grateful Chuck avoided asking about his low point. “Not really. I hear him in my head sometimes. Just things he used to say to me. Like ‘Don’t get cocky, kid,’ or ‘He’s out of your league kid,’ I even got a ‘Throw him at the pipes, kid,’ when we fought in the hallway.”

Chuck snorted and leaned back. He did not like thinking about that fight, not now. Not when he and Raleigh were fast becoming friends. He leaned forward and clapped Raleigh on the shoulder, giving a quick squeeze. After Pentecost forced him from the drift at the bottom of the ocean, Chuck felt the faintest ghost of the Marshal at the periphery of his awareness. Still standing as a fixed point for his rangers to focus on. Losing Pentecost mid-fight was peaceful compared to how Yancy Becket went out and Chuck regretted ever starting that fight. Raleigh was still the man he’d always wanted to be, even with the flaws. 

“Well, all I gotta say then Ray, is that your brother was a dick. Hitting those pipes hurt. A lot.”

Feeling the tension leave his body and the room, Raleigh let out a full on laugh, earning a full smile from Chuck in the process. And, fuck, if those dimples didn’t completely relax the kid’s whole face. “Yeah. He was a dick. And he definitely would have hated you. There’s a reason Yancy and Lotte were so close, they were exactly fucking alike.”

“Just like us, eh?” Raleigh’s eyebrows climbed up his forehead. “Oi. Don’t look at me like that. We are very different people, yeah? But we both have some pretty fucked up histories and older siblings who are _the_ main reason we’ve become the people we are, better or worse.”

“Well when you put it like that, kid, you actually sound pretty smart.”

“I am incredibly smart, _Ray._ Charlie is the dumb athlete of the family. Not me, mate.”

Both Rangers forgot the cards and, instead, started sniping at each other and tossing pillows and the few doctor-approved dog toys Max carried into the room at each other. They were still snarking at each other and occasionally throwing things when Mako returned, exhausted, to the room an hour later. 

Two nurses and Herc followed her in with trays of food for all three Rangers and one for Herc as well. Neither man stopped to acknowledge the new people in the room, they merely kept arguing after sparing the new additions a quick glance. Mako smiled, her exhaustion forgotten a bit, at the sight of her copilot having fun. Herc set his trays down, dismissed the nurses, and rolled his eyes before walking over and cuffing both men across the ears. 

“Oi. I have brought food, you bloody clownshoes. You will stop your earbashing and sit down to eat. Mako has had a very long day and I will not be leaving her in here to deal with you nagging each other. I’m happy you two are getting along, but stop bloody talking for five minutes and come eat.”

Unused to Herc’s teasing tone and completely relaxed, smiling face, both Rangers sputtered for a moment. Chuck then smacked Raleigh across the face with his pillow once more and hobbled over to the table before the other Ranger could react.


	3. If I Can Live Through This, I Can Do Anything

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Originally posted July 3, 2017. Fully edited and Beta'd by 24 December 2017.
> 
> Our intrepid elder Hansen sibling meets the golden boys of the PPDC for the first time.

\-----June 21, 2016------

**0600 HRS, PPDC Jaeger Academy and Proving Grounds, Kodiak Island, Alaska**

Charlotte Hansen fought the scowl threatening to break across her face. She’d been at the Academy all of twenty minutes and people were already chattering and pointing at her from across the room. Sometimes she hated her height and red hair. Even at fifteen when she still had a few inches to gain, at least according to the PPDC docs who’d given her a physical just last week, her physicality and hair were practically neon signs screaming that she was a Hansen. Especially now that dad and Uncle Scott rolled out in Lucky Seven and protected Hong Kong a month ago. 

Suddenly every one of the new recruits fell silent and turned to face the door. Standing there was Marshal Stacker Pentecost, Secretary-General Dustin Krieger, and another man. Charlotte thought his name was Quan. Having been around the PPDC for a full year now, Charlotte was quite familiar with the newly minted Marshal. Besides, there were only ten Jaegers in service at the moment and the twenty pilots created a fairly close-knit group. Her father introduced her to Coyote Tango’s pilots at his graduation ceremony. Krieger she knew from the multitude of press junkets on television. He seemed to be a good man only interested in keeping the PPDC ahead of the Kaiju _and_ the politicians at the UN. Quan was a mystery. 

“Recruits. My name is Marshal Stacker Pentecost. I am the new head of the PPDC. Should you succeed in graduating from this academy in twenty-four weeks, I will be your commanding officer, this means that I will be overseeing every move you make when in combat with a Kaiju. You will answer to me, because in the PPDC there is no higher power.” Charlotte barely concealed her smirk. Marshal Pentecost certainly knew how to command a room. 

“Now, as it is your first day, I will leave you in the capable hands of Commander Quan, the Chief Kwoon Fightmaster. He is the director of this Academy and reports directly to me. If you fail to impress Commander Quan, recruits, you will fail to complete this Academy. No exceptions.” 

With that, a stoic Marshal Pentecost and smirking Krieger exited the room. Commander Quan directed everyone to take their seats at the benches arranged around the edge of the mats. Charlotte chose a spot close to two blond men. They were the only two people in the room who hadn’t been speaking about her behind her back. The younger of the two even grinned at her and scooted over to make room for her. Commander Quan drew her attention once more, though, when he took position in the center of the room. Having lived in the Hong Kong Shatterdome for a year, Charlotte was familiar with the sight of a Kwoon and knew that the mats were similar to a gymnastics spring floor, meant to reduce bounce. 

“Recruits, I am Commander Quan. While in this academy, you will engage in four separate areas of training. The first and most obvious will be in combat technique. Marshal Pentecost has developed what we refer to as Jaeger Bushido. You will master all fifty-two positions of the Bushido and any other combat techniques we deem necessary. Second in importance is your psychological training. Each of you will meet with a team of two Psych Analysts every other day. These teams will help you assess your psychological fortitude and prepare you for the Drift. There are no secrets in the drift. If you go into the drift unprepared, you will chase the RABIT, Random Access Brain Impulse Triggers. If you chase the rabbit, you will endanger yourself, your copilot, and the civilians you are tasked with protecting. Should you succeed in proving yourselves capable, each of you will move on to the third and fourth areas of training.”

Commander Quan let the likelihood of failure hang over the room for a moment before continuing. “The third area is a focus on the Jaegers themselves. You will learn everything about the Jaegers currently in service and those yet to be built. Once you know the machine, you will know how to use it properly to defeat Kaiju. Our Assault Specialists will teach you how to kill Kaiju with the ruthless efficiency needed to protect yourselves as Rangers and the millions of people who will rely on you to be their only line of defense. Finally, you will enter simulations alone, and with your drift partners, to test all of your acquired skills against a Kaiju. If you fail more than three simulations, you will never enter a Jaeger as its pilot.

“This academy has had three graduating classes, thus far. We run two recruit classes concurrently. Six of the current active Rangers predate the Academy. The remaining fourteen are the only recruits to succeed in completing the rigorous training required to pilot a Jaeger. Those fourteen pilots were selected from over five hundred applicants. You have been chosen from a group of two hundred. There are no guarantees in the Academy. Youth, experience, and luck have all failed here. Only persistence and skill have allowed for success thus far. There are fifty of you here. If even two of you graduate, I will be impressed. Today, though, is your first test. Through that door,” The imposing Chinese man pointed over his left shoulder to the doorway opposite the one he entered. “Is a locker room. Each of you have been assigned a locker. Change your clothes and meet me back here in four minutes. I shall be timing you.”

Everyone except Charlotte and the two blond bombshells ran for the door. The two men seemed to be assessing her, taking their time to enter the locker room purely because she was. It was annoying. Charlotte entered the locker room at a sedate pace, though, and found her locker. She quickly shed her clothes and pulled on the tank top and pants provided. Then, she calmly walked back out to the Kwoon to find only half the class dressed and waiting. The others were still trying to figure out how to tie their pants on properly. 

Charlotte was unnerved to find the two blond men had beaten her out and seemingly waiting for her. Quan waited a few more minutes and then called time. He inspected each recruit and dismissed three recruits for being out of uniform. Seven others, the blond bombshells included, received reprimands for minor uniform deficiencies. For once, Charlotte was glad her father was a soldier his entire adult life, she’d never be out of uniform. 

“When I call your name, step to the center of the mat.” Commander Quan called after finishing his inspections.

“Ian Staughton.” A tall, handsome man of mixed race stepped to the center of the mats. Charlotte tried not to sneer. He looked every inch like an entitled officer used to people obeying his orders and never seeing a real fight. Herc’s last commanding officer in the RAAF had been like that. That man had also been the one to force Herc to steal the chopper he used to rescue herself and her brother from Scissure’s attack on Sydney. This guy exuded the same cock-sure attitude and it set Charlotte’s teeth on edge. 

“Yancy Becket.” The older of the blond bombshells loped into the center of the mats. He also exuded confidence, but his was obviously born of a hard life. The tension in his shoulders, and the quick neck roll he did, proved he was more than ready for a fight. This guy was, as Charlotte previously noted, handsome as well. He carried himself with a different sort of ease and confidence than the asshat currently across from him on the mats. Charlotte liked this guy more every second. He reminded her of Herc and her Papa, though her mother’s parents died with her in the Scissure attack. 

Commander Quan broke her train of thought by stepping up to both men. “Recruits. You will spar with each other. I will be assessing you for your skill alone, not technique. If you inflict any serious injury on one another then you will find yourselves facing your first strike. Bruises and sprains are to be expected recruits, broken bones are not. You must be in complete control of your emotions while in a Jaeger. If you lose control here in the Kwoon, you will lose control against the Kaiju. Now, begin!”

Staughton immediately settled into what Charlotte recognized as a jiu jitsu stance. Becket did nothing, content to watch his opponent. Staughton frowned. “Do you not plan on fighting me?” Staughton’s posh English accent rolled out like honey, but Charlotte recognized the demeaning tone in the Pommy’s voice. He didn’t think Becket was worth his time. Becket smirked and rolled his shoulders, utterly content to rile his opponent up with silence. Charlotte chanced a glance at the other blond bombshell, who was obviously the younger Becket sibling. She regretted that glance. 

As soon as she registered the shit-eating grin on the younger Becket’s face, the older one was lunging into Staughton with a full blown tackle and knocking him on his back. Staughton barely managed to wrap his legs around Becket’s middle and flip them avoiding blond’s fist to his face. Unfortunately for Staughton, it was obvious that Becket had better reflexes and he found himself flipped again, this time on his stomach and both of his arms pinned behind his back as Becket pressed a knee into his spine. 

“Stop!” Commander Quan called. Just as Charlotte heard the younger Becket chuckle under his breath and shake his head a bit. “Staughton, return to the line. Becket remain.”

“Ariel Gonzales.” A stocky Hispanic man, covered in obvious prison tattoos, stepped onto the mats. Becket settled into a ready stance, obviously taking this fight more seriously. As soon as Quan called for them to begin, both men launched at each other with a flurry of well-timed blows. Neither actually landed any hits and Charlotte was reminded of watching her father and uncle spar, these two would be drift compatible. A quick look at the younger Becket confirmed her suspicions, as the blond was frowning slightly. After several minutes, Quan called a halt to the fight and Becket shook Gonzales’ hand. Both stepped back into the line of recruits, Becket moving to stand next to Charlotte. 

“Charlotte Hansen.” Charlotte let all the tension bleed out of her body. Her parents encouraged her obsession with martial arts since she was four years old. She’d moved from one technique to another every couple years, complementing her training with gymnastics, until Scissure hit Sydney when she was twelve. Three years on, her father and uncle kept up with her training, allowing both Hansen kids to learn the Jaeger Bushido. Fighting was something she was intimately familiar with. She was prepared for any outcome today. Win or lose, she knew she’d prove that she belonged here, despite being fifteen. 

“Julian Lopez.” The second Hispanic man of the group, this one taller and leaner, though no less covered in prison ink, loped over to face Charlotte. He obviously thought fighting a teenage girl would be a piece of cake and graced Charlotte with a shark smile. He faltered a bit when she returned that smile and bowed to him. 

Quan called for the fight to begin and Charlotte immediately dodged a full-body tackle from Lopez. She did a back handspring away from him and landed across the mats in a boxing stance. Lopez turned to face her and granted her with a real smile this time. Charlotte returned this one too and the two flew at each other, parrying blows and landing the occasional jab at each other’s faces and bodies. The fight became a dance when both recruits devolved into Capoeira. 

By the time Quan called a halt to the fight, Charlotte was breathing hard, but smiling. Quan dismissed them from the mats and Lopez shook her hand before returning to stand next to Gonzales. Charlotte decided that she’d definitely not mind if she was paired with him as a drift partner, but she knew she was more drift compatible with her father and brother from the sparring she’d done with them both. 

As she stepped back into line, Yancy Becket moved to have her stand between him and his brother. Ian Staughton had moved into her former spot and she definitely didn’t want to stand next to the Pommy asshole. The younger Becket graced her with a full blown smile which made her blink hard. The man was gorgeous. She smiled back and rolled her eyes a bit though. He was obviously flirting, but Charlotte was at the Academy for one thing only. She’d happily call the Beckets her friends, but as long as there were Kaiju to fight, she wouldn’t be anything more. Besides, the _younger_ of the blonds was definitely not her type. 

“Raleigh Becket.” The still grinning younger man trotted out to the mats like an overexcited puppy. Yancy, now that she knew both their names, snorted under his breath and muttered, “don’t get cocky, kid.” Charlotte smirked, he sounded just like her when she was scolding her own younger brother. 

“Olaf Sigurson.” A giant of a man that reminded Charlotte of Aleksis Kaidonovsky lumbered onto the mats. Raleigh was no slouch at a little over six-feet, but the leanness of youth clung to him. Sigurson was built like a brick shithouse and stood at close to seven feet tall. Raleigh kept on smiling and bouncing on his feet. 

Sigurson cocked his head to the side, obviously confused by his opponent. Quan called for them to begin and Sigurson took a massive swing at Raleigh who suddenly wasn’t there. Instead he was at Sigurson’s back kicking his knees in and bringing the big man to the ground. Then the fight really got started. Sigurson reached behind him and flipped Raleigh over his shoulder then moved to hit him but he was, once again, gone. The blond twisted around to pin Sigurson’s left arm behind his back and wrap his legs around the man’s neck. He twisted again and brought the big man down, pinning his arm and cutting off the man’s airflow. 

Quan called a halt and both men clambered to their feet. Raleigh obviously bruised from the few blows he’d received and Sigurson breathing heavily. The big man smiled though and shook Raleigh’s hand. Quan dismissed them both back to the line. Raleigh loped back and granted Charlotte another winning smile as he joined his brother in bracketing her. 

\-----

Later that evening, in the mess hall, Yancy appeared at Charlotte’s side and took her tray of food. She let out an indignant squawk of protest and followed the man to a table where Raleigh was already waiting with two trays. Yancy plopped Charlotte’s down next to Raleigh and took his own and a seat across the table. 

“Ya know, mate. It’s not exactly polite to take a person’s food away from them, yeah?” 

“Ya know, in America, unspoken invitations to be friends are generally understood and accepted right?” Yancy shot back. 

Raleigh chuckled. “Forgive my brother, he’s a dickhead. I’m the nice one. Raleigh Becket at your service.” He reached over and shook Charlotte’s hand. Charlotte smiled at him. 

“Oh, I like you already, Ray.”

“It’s Raleigh.”

“Yeah but that name and this accent are never gonna get along, mate.” 

Yancy let out a bark of laughter. “She’s got a point, kid.”

“Yours won’t either, jerk. Come on Charlie, say his name.”

“Don’t call me Charlie, that’s my brother’s name. But, you’re right, _Yancy._ ” Both brothers laughed loudly, drawing attention to themselves. Charlotte joined in, surprised at herself. She hadn’t laughed in a long time. The Becket boys would be good for her, she could tell. They chatted and ate, until finally Raleigh smiled mischievously at Charlotte and swung on the bench to look at her. 

“What?”

“You said your brother’s name is Charlie. _Your_ name is Charlotte. Did _Hercules_ Hansen really give his kids the same name?”

Charlotte blushed a bit. “No. It’s my fault. Herc always called me Charlie as a baby. Mum hated it. When my grandparents brought me up to the hospital to see my brother, they let me hold him and I just kept calling him Charlie. Every time someone told me his name was Jason, I’d grip him tighter and say, ‘No, Charlie.’ Mum and dad decided not to argue with me and changed the birth certificate to Charles Jason Hansen. Herc called both of us Charlie after that.”

“So, what’s your middle name then? Your parents obviously kept up with the Greek hero thing.” Yancy snarked. 

Charlotte rolled her eyes. “It’s actually Diana Charlotte Hansen. Mum called me ‘Princess Di’ but dad _always_ called me Charlie.” 

She met Yancy’s shit-eating grin with a wry smile. He seemed to know immediately that he and Raleigh touched on a sore subject and turned the conversation back to the training schedules. Talking about family was one thing Charlotte still hadn’t gotten used to since her mother’s death. Herc hadn’t been able to express his grief with words and neither of his children succeeded at that either. Hansens were a definitely a stoic, “punch-it-out” family. 

Charlotte tried to talk to Charlie whenever possible about his feelings, recognizing that if they never spoke to each other they’d end up like Scott and Herc. But being here, away from her family for the first time since Scissure, she was surprised at herself and happy to find that there were people here who understood her pain and would support her. Yancy, especially, seemed to understand her implicitly. Charlotte was itching to get into the Kwoon with him. She knew he’d be a challenge. 

\------December 6, 2016----

**1000 HRS, PPDC Jaeger Academy and Proving Grounds, Kodiak Island, Alaska**

Herc Hansen sat with the small audience in the conference room of the Jaeger Academy. He only knew the few instructors from the Academy and of course Pentecost and Krieger. There were three other men and one woman in the room. The woman looked very familiar. Herc studied her for a moment before it hit him, Air Chief Marshal, Georgina Staughton. Herc met her in passing once in 2001 after the capture of Kandahar International Airport. The man at her side leaned in and kissed her cheek and he realized that this was MP Thomas Staughton, her husband. The other two men were Hispanic, one looked like a prison guard and the other a politician. He wasn’t sure what to make of them. 

Commander Quan entered, followed by the six new graduates of the Jaeger Academy. Two blond young men, who were obviously brothers, his daughter, a man who could only be the Staughtons’ son, and two Hispanic men followed in lockstep behind Quan. They lined up at the front of the room and Herc tried not to smirk as his daughter fought her own smile. 

 

“Ladies and Gentlemen,” Stacker addressed the room. “Let me present the six new graduates of the Jaeger Academy: Rangers Yancy and Raleigh Becket, Ranger Charlotte Hansen, Ranger Ian Staughton, Ranger Julian Lopez, and Ranger Ariel Gonzales. Congratulations Rangers.”

There was no ceremony, no need for celebration beyond what the Rangers had already engaged in the night before if some of the red, glassy eyes and woozy behavior was to be believed. Herc did smirk this time as he realized his daughter was subtly propping up the elder of the two Becket brothers. Commander Quan dismissed the graduates and Herc waited for his daughter to hug both of the Beckets and the frankly terrifying Hispanic men before she marched over and hugged him tight. 

His little girl was officially gone, in her place was a Ranger. She was still a teenager, only two months from turning sixteen, but the last three years had completely erased the last traces of childhood from her. She should be worried about boys and school, not climbing into a Jaeger. 

Herc nodded at the Marshal and followed his daughter out of the room. She led him to the residential wing where they isolated the ranger recruits. She opened the last door at the end of the hall and motioned for her father to enter. 

“Nice to see these haven’t changed, yeah? What’d you do to earn the punishment bunk, Charlotte?”

She smirked at him. “I broke another recruit’s nose. Would have done worse except Lopez and Gonzales happened to be in the room and pulled me off him. Quan put me back here for, quote, ‘the safety and well-being of the other recruits.’ Apparently having the Becket boys and two ex-convicts as the only other recruits who liked me was threatening. Especially since I edged out Yancy and that Pommy bastard Staughton for the top of the class.”

“He did seem like the odd-man-out in there.”

“That’s because he’s a posh, entitled ass. He also decided to hit on me a few weeks back. Seemed to forget I was fifteen and he’s twenty-two. Yance and Rals took him to the Kwoon for that one. He’s still got a wicked bloody bruise on his left shoulder.”

Herc nearly growled. He knew his girl could take care of herself, but the idea of anyone hitting on her still rankled. “Did he have a reason to think you’re interested, Charlotte?”

“Nah. I mean, yeah, he’s a spunk. But that attitude is terrible. He reminds me of Group Captain Robinson.” Both Hansens scowled at the memory of the bastard who’d tried to keep Herc from flying into Sydney to save his kids. 

“How’s Charlie?” Herc flinched and refused to look at his daughter. “Still a cranky ginger koala then. I guess he hates me now too, yeah?”

“Just a bit.” Herc had never been one to sugarcoat things for his kids, even before Scissure. “He thinks you should have waited to go until he could come with you. Max has made it better for him.”

“Yeah, that wasn’t happening. He and I will definitely end up in a Jaeger together someday, but I wasn’t waiting.” Charlotte glanced at her father, serious now. “Not with yours and Scott’s drift getting more unstable. You may be universally compatible old man, but we both know you won’t let just anyone in your head. Especially not now with all of Scott’s shit in there. I can handle it. So when he finally does fuck up, dad, I’m your copilot. ‘Til then, Commander Quan has me set up at the Vladivostok Dome as a J-Tech on Cherno with the Kaidonovskys for six months. If I prove myself then I go to Hong Kong. After that, I go where Lucky Seven goes.”

Herc smiled. His family would be together. His kids may still hate him some days for not saving their mother and then abandoning them to traipse around the Pacific killing kaiju, but they were together, and that’s all that mattered. And now that Herc was officially partnered with his brother in Lucky Seven instead of every Jaeger’s fill-in pilot, there would be more stability to look forward to.


	4. I Cannot Dream I Cannot Sleep Tonight

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Originally posted May 22, 2017. Fully edited and Beta'd by 24 December 2017. 
> 
> Something's rotten in the state of Denmark. 
> 
> The cracks in a carefully maintained facade are revealed. Two Rangers have learned to trust each other.

\----February 3, 2025---

**2345 HRS, Hong Kong Shatterdome, Med-bay, Room 26—Occupants: Ranger Raleigh Becket, Ranger Chuck Hansen**

Charlotte Hansen clutched her cup of coffee tightly as she rode the lift up to the Med-bay. Her nightly ritual of checking on her brother and Raleigh as they slept was her one concession to the lingering fear she felt after Pitfall. Pentecost ordered her to stay in Sydney overseeing the decommissioning of the Shatterdome. Three hours after the double event, he’d had a two hour screaming match with her which ended with a threat to have every vehicle capable of flight within a thousand miles grounded if she did not stay and man her post. He swore to her that he had a plan to keep Chuck alive, and that once he was sure it would work he’d send word for her to start traveling to Hong Kong. 

He’d sent that word twelve hours before Pitfall. Charlotte spent those few days in between at a constant ready, fully-packed and not sleeping. Stella handled it like a true Hansen, playing with the Mini-Jaegers her Uncle Chuck built her and promising her mother that him and grandpa were just fine. Even Charlotte’s frantic exit from the Sydney Dome hadn’t fazed the girl. 

Charlotte ascribed to the same policy of honesty and full disclosure as her father did when it came to parenting Stella. Everything Charlotte could tell her daughter about what was happening with her beloved Uncle and Grandpa, she did. Any other child would have been paralyzed by fear. But this was Stella Alala Hansen, she’d grown up with her family piloting Jaegers and nearly dying every few weeks. All she knew was a dangerous world, knowing her family was now at the center of the plan to save it only made her a proud four-year-old. 

Ever since Chuck was pulled from the ocean with Mako and Raleigh, Charlotte spent as much time watching her brother and friends as possible. The plan she and Pentecost set in place over the last year and a half to keep the PPDC independent after Pitfall required at least ninety-percent of her attention on any given day. Keeping a small child out of trouble in a Shatterdome required most of the rest of her consideration. The same night they were all moved into a shared room, Charlotte made an unexpected visit to make sure they were sleeping well. 

She’d continued those trips every night, usually around midnight when she was sure they’d all be asleep, just to reassure herself that she hadn’t lost all three of them. Now that Mako was discharged and firmly asleep in her own room, Charlotte was trekking up to see the other two Rangers. 

Opening the door quietly, Charlotte was surprised to find Chuck and Raleigh curled up on the same bed, completely intertwined with each other. She crept into the room and noticed that Raleigh’s bed was a mess of sweat-soaked sheets. The man himself looked to be wrapped up in every spare sheet Chuck found and curled up on the Australian’s chest. Charlotte studied her friend for a moment, noticing the occasional shiver and whimper, before she realized that her brother was awake. 

“Nightmares?” She finally whispered. Working hard to maintain an impassive look on her face. 

“Yeah. Woke up a half-hour ago. I got him calmed down and he wouldn’t let go.” Chuck whispered back, his arm firmly wrapped around the other Ranger. 

Charlotte nodded. “He did that a lot right after Knifehead. I did a lot of sleeping in hospital beds until he was released.” Chuck looked like he wanted to say something, but he stopped himself. “You just need to stay there and he’ll sleep fine. You alright with that, Charlie?”

“It’s fine.” He wrapped his arm a little tighter around the blond pilot. “What’re you doing here anyway?”

“Came to check on you.”

“You were here for dinner four hours ago.” Chuck graced her with a seriously unimpressed look. 

“So. You almost died, so did he. Maybe I need some reassurance that you’re still here.” She turned and left the room, taking a sip of her coffee to avoid saying anything else. 

Chuck stared after his sister, he almost got up to hobble out of the room after her, but Raleigh’s continued whimpering forced him to stay where he was. The older man was clinging to him like a limpet and he found he really couldn’t complain. No one other than his sister and niece had really hugged him in years. Even the Jaeger flies he picked up were more interested in the sex than in a cuddle afterwards. 

And fuck a duck, his sister was a mess. He hadn’t seen her since before Mutavore attacked Sydney. She’d flown in from doing the final shutdown of the Icebox and they’d eaten lunch and then the big bastard was spotted and she went into full Vice-Marshal mode to get Striker deployed without the UN throwing a fit. They threw a fit anyway and Charlotte spent the whole time Striker and her pilots were shipped off to Hong Kong on video conference calls with the UN and various members of the press. She hadn’t followed them to Hong Kong. She’d had to watch the Double Event and then listen to Pitfall from hundreds of miles away. It wasn’t the farthest away from them she’d ever been when they were deployed, but the stakes were that much higher. 

He didn’t begrudge her a midnight visit or two to reassure herself that they were fine. He did, however, have a problem with her waltzing off with a snippy comment aimed at him. She was too much like their father sometimes. Of course, he wasn’t exactly a paragon of emotional stability himself. Hansens were made of stern stuff, but care bears they were not. 

Chuck glanced at the clock on the wall, midnight. The nurses would come in at 0800 to wake him and Raleigh for physical therapy. In a week the both of them were supposed to get their casts off. Raleigh started twitching in his sleep again. Chuck squeezed him tighter and shifted so they were spooned together. The other Ranger calmed immediately and dropped back to sleep. Chuck listened to his breathing even out and then he too fell asleep again, resolved to deal with his sister the next day.


	5. Turn Back Time, To The Good Old Days

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Originally edited 3 July 2017. Fully edited and Beta'd by 24 December 2017.
> 
> In which we learn more about the Hansen and Becket family dynamics, a villain is properly introduced, and the glory days of the K-War are examined through the lens of its soldiers.

\------Friday, November 1, 2019------

**2100 HRS—The George Hotel, Christchurch, New Zealand**

Herc Hansen was bored out of his mind. He and his daughter had been mingling, as ordered by Marshal Pentecost who was stoically glad-handing across the room, with the few remaining glitterati of New Zealand. Nine months earlier, Lucky Seven deployed and engaged in a ten-hour brawl with a kaiju codenamed Arewhana on the Miracle Mile off Christchurch. The city still suffered some damage as Arewhana and Lucky Seven both tossed some container ships towards the coast during the fight. But all these months later, with no civilian casualties reported, New Zealand was happy to welcome the two Aussie pilots back to the city as heroes. 

This gala was the beginning of a three-week press tour the PPDC was sending the Hansens on in the hopes of making the public forget the very public disintegration of the former Hansen pilot team the year before. Charlotte, despite very clearly insulting every single person she spoke to, charmed each one of the rich bastards who’d come to shake her hand. Herc allowed her behavior to continue, it was the only entertainment he had so far. 

Not one of these idiots seemed capable of acknowledging that his daughter was more than a pretty face or the second youngest Jaeger pilot ever, after Raleigh Becket. The two of them argued for three hours the day Charlotte was officially reassigned as his copilot, after two needless months of drift testing with other academy graduates and current recruits. Two weeks later they had one of the most stable drifts of any Ranger pair and their first kill under their belt.

That was months ago though, tonight, he was shoved into his dress blues and fighting the urge to disappear. Stacker resorted to giving him a direct order not to leave the party before the Marshal himself left. That was three hours ago and Stacker was _still_ here. Even Charlotte was starting to glare at his best friend. Herc was beyond annoyed now, Stacker would pay for this. 

“Come on, Charlie. Let’s go get a drink.” Herc led his daughter to the bar and ordered them both three fingers of whiskey. Taking a sip, Herc was pleased to discover that the party organizers hadn’t gone for the cheap stuff. 

“Mmm. Smooth. They didn’t hold out on us, Herc.” Charlotte said as she took a sip of her own whiskey. Then she blanched at something over Herc’s shoulder and downed the whole drink, depositing the tumbler with little grace on the bar. “Ah, shit. Tatiana Grigorovich is here. _Please_ hide me.”

Herc didn’t dare glance over his shoulder to check. He simply pushed his daughter away from the bar and forced them back into the crowd. After weaving through people for a few minutes, they found a quiet table in a corner and collapsed into two chairs, partially obscured by a flower arrangement. 

Neither of them spoke to each other, with the drift there wasn’t much need to do so. And with the stability of _their_ drift, the ghost connection was still strong. Herc could now say he completely understood his teenage daughter for the first time in her life. She’d gone into the drift with him completely open, laying everything out for him. 

He’d re-experienced teaching her to throw a punch and ride a bike, her happiness when Chuck first learned how to read, her first trip to the headmistress’ office when she’d broken a boy’s nose. He also felt her fear and rage from Scissure and how she’d only kept it together because Chuck was so broken. He knew how much she’d hated him, how it felt to forgive him, and finally her obsession with upgrading Lucky Seven to keep her only remaining parent alive. Now, sitting next to her, he could feel her exhaustion and annoyance with the party and its guests.

Suddenly, Charlotte perked up and narrowed her eyes. Herc glanced over to the crowd and saw Ian Staughton approaching them. He looked like he was relieved to see them. Charlotte raised a questioning eyebrow before Herc nudged her elbow and nodded to a figure behind the approaching Jaeger pilot. Tatiana Grigorovich had found her new prey for the evening. Ian marched up to the table and leaned towards Charlotte to whisper in her ear. 

“I’m sorry, but please don’t hit me for this.” He tipped his head to the side and kissed her. Herc’s eyes widened a bit, but he noticed that the approaching Jaeger fly faltered in her steps at the show. He planted an unimpressed frown on his face and tapped the man who was now slipping his tongue into his daughter’s mouth. 

“Lieutenant Staughton, back off.” Ian sprang away immediately, smiling sheepishly at the large ginger Australian. Then he looked back, pleadingly, at the much more intimidating redhead and smiled widely. 

“Tatiana is _terrified_ of you. Please, please, please, I am begging you. Make her go away.”

Charlotte, still a bit stunned, glanced over Ian’s shoulder at the blonde woman now hovering not so discreetly nearby. She looked over at her father, who arched an eyebrow and smirked a bit, and then back to the pleading expression on Ian’s face. A slow, evil grin passed over Charlotte’s face and was quickly replaced with a full smile. 

“Well, hello, darling.” She announced a bit loudly, dragging Ian into the chair next to her. “I lost you hours ago. Where have you been?”

Tatiana made her move then, gliding up to the table with a too-wide smile. “There you are, Ian! You did not tell me you knew the guests of honor so well.”

Ian cleared his throat and Charlotte reached over to give his hand a quick squeeze. “Oh, Ian knows me _very_ well _Mrs._ Grigorovich, we did graduate from the Academy together. Now, if you’ll excuse us, we have an early flight in the morning and my father was gracious enough to wait with me until Ian found us. Goodnight.”

Charlotte dragged Ian to his feet and pulled him towards the exit, Herc hot on her heels. Once they cleared the ballroom of the hotel and made it into the lift, the two Hansens burst into laughter while Ian breathed a huge sigh of relief. 

“My god, why can’t the Marshal or Krieger insist that Ambassador Grigorovich leave that harpy at home? She latched onto me the moment you two did a runner from the bar. Twenty minutes it took me to lose her, but no, there she is demanding she speak to me in private. I did the only thing I knew would deter her. Sorry Charlotte. Didn’t intend to maul you there.”

Charlotte, still giggling, shook her head. “Worse things have happened to me because of an overeager Jaeger fly. You at least gave me a second to prepare before jumping in. Trevin Gage just dumped a guy in my lap six months ago and ran. Literally dropped him. Then I had a lap full of horny Jaeger fly and Bruce had to yank him off me and throw him out the door when the guy decided being in my lap was an invitation.”

The lift dinged and Herc glanced at his daughter. “You know he’s gonna have to stay the night if you two want Tatiana to believe you’re an item, yeah?”

Charlotte blanched a bit and Ian quickly covered a grin to look appropriately intimidated by Hercules Hansen’s “I’m unimpressed” face. 

“They’ve got us in a suite right?” Herc nodded in response. “Then Ian can take the extra room or the couch. A good walk of shame in the morning ought to keep her busy. Good with you, mate?”

Ian nodded. “Fine with me. Anything to keep that harpy far away from me.”

“Good, just don’t interrupt my phone call tonight.” Charlotte glared to emphasize her point. 

Ian remained puzzled about who would be so important to warrant that type of reaction until an hour later. Charlotte waltzed into the sitting room that joined all three bedrooms and forced him off the couch where he was watching the news and drinking a glass of water. 

Ian was struck by how laid back she appeared in her pajamas. Even as a fifteen-year-old, Charlotte Hansen exuded the same kind of completely composed confidence as Stacker Pentecost. She never appeared with a single hair out of place or speck of dust on her clothing. Now she wore a t-shirt that obviously once belonged to Herc and a pair of flannel sleep pants that he assumed belonged to her brother. Her hair was down, another unusual occurrence, and framed her face in wild bright-red curls. Her hair reminded Ian of some children’s movie from before the K-War began. He was distracted enough by her appearance that he almost missed Yancy Becket’s exclamation of “Who the hell is that?”

Charlotte didn’t miss a beat though. “That is Ian Staughton. You guys remember him. Say hello Ian.” Ian leaned over and did just that. Earning a glare from the older Becket and an amused grin from the younger. “Say goodbye Ian. Bedroom’s that way.” She didn’t even look at him as he stood and followed her pointing finger towards the door at the far end of the room. 

“What the hell is he doing in your bedroom, Lotte?” Yancy ground out. Raleigh elbowed him for his tone. They hadn’t gotten to talk to Lotte in three days, no way was he letting Yancy start a fight this early into their call and make her hang up on them. Raleigh missed his best friend. 

“Shut it, Yance.”

“No. I want to know what that douchebag is there. Where’s Herc?”

Charlotte practically growled. “He is _none_ of your business Yancy Becket. And my father is already asleep in his room, right next to mine. Now, if you’d like to be a good friend and focus…”

She didn’t get to finish because Yancy started to argue again and Raleigh was forced to enact desperate measures. He slapped a hand over his brother’s mouth, an arm around his chest, and frog-marched him out of the room. A quick change of the door codes from the inside ensured that the older Becket would be forced to either wait until he calmed down to rejoin the conversation or be forced to go to Tendo in LOCCENT to override the door code, by which time he would have calmed down. Charlotte watched the whole thing with an amused grin on her face. When Raleigh sat down again she giggled a bit. 

“He’s in a mood today.”

“We’ve been fighting the last couple weeks. No. Don’t look at me that way. We’re brothers and we fight. It happens. I’m tired of his bullshit. We’ll sort it out. No worries. How’ve you been Lotte?”

\-----

Raleigh and Charlotte talked for hours. By the time dawn rolled around, waking Herc, Charlotte had only been asleep for three hours. The elder Hansen found her on the sofa and covered her back up with a blanket, much like he used to do when she was a child. He watched her sleep for a moment before picking up the remote for the TV and using it to order three full English breakfasts from the hotel’s self-service menu. As room service arrived, Ian staggered out of the third bedroom and Charlotte was still sleeping. 

“Oh. I didn’t realize she’d fallen asleep out here. Sorry, sir, I was up pretty late. If I’d known, I would have forced her to climb into her own bed.”

“No worries, mate. She does this a lot when she and the Becket boys get to yabbering on.”

“She’s close to them. I knew that from the Academy, but I didn’t realize how close.” 

Herc studied the slightly disappointed look on the other Ranger’s face. He still wasn’t sure about the bloke, especially one so interested in his little girl. But he’d long since learned to shunt any discomfort he felt at men being interested in her to the side in favor of impartial assessment of them. 

“The Gages like to joke that she’s not a Hansen at all. Three of them are inseparable, even with the whole Pacific between them. Last bloke she was seeing wasn’t too understanding of that. Course she wasn’t all that interested in him in the first place, but she definitely kicked his arse after that.” Herc levelled a glare at the other man, hoping to drive the point home.

Ian had the decency to blush a bit. He was stopped from answering though as Charlotte was awakened by the smell of food. She sat up, stretched and automatically reached out towards her father. A cup of coffee, the real stuff, was deposited into her hands. She took a sip and sighed, thanking her father silently for only putting one sugar in, just the way she liked it. 

“Finish that, Charlie. I need you acting like a real human being today.”

She grumbled and made grabby hands at him again. He obliged her by depositing a plate of food in her hands. By the time she finished her breakfast and shuffled off to her unused bedroom to shower and get dressed, Herc was laughing at the look on Ian’s face. 

“Only thing that will make her completely lucid before brekkie is a kaiju, mate. The drop we did here, she was spewin’ and we would’ve killed that big bastard faster if he hadn’t been armored up. Don’t take it personal. Though, you should probably head out, we all have to be on that transport in three hours.”

Ian took the other man’s cue and finished his breakfast. He nearly made it out the door, shirt and coat in hand and uniform slacks back on when the sound of Charlotte yelling stopped him. Herc retreated into his room to get ready so Ian decided to check on the younger Ranger. He opened the door to find Charlotte yelling at Yancy Becket across a holo-screen. The American Ranger noticed him standing in the doorway, only partially dressed and practically roared. Charlotte whipped around and glared. 

“Go, Ian. I’ll see you in a few hours.” She turned back to the screen, satisfied she’d dismissed him, and returned her attention to her friend. Ian slipped out, angry at the brush-off and left the Hansen’s suite. Yancy, though, wasn’t done. 

“You slept with him!”

“It’s none of your business, Yance. Christ on a cracker, what is your problem? You’ve never cared one whit who I fucked before.”

“Yeah, well, none of them have been that slimy son of a bitch. You should know better Lotte!”

“Oh, fuck you. _‘I should know better?’_ You’ve slept with every Jaeger fly within a twenty-mile radius of every dome you’ve ever set foot in, Yancy Becket. You do not get to lecture me.”

“That is beside the point. He’s no good, Lotte. You know that.”

“So, what. I’m not looking for a relationship.” Charlotte barely caught the twitch of Yancy’s left eye. “And you’ve been acting funny since I dumped Thomas, Yance. What is wrong with you?”

Yancy blanched and avoided looking her in the eye. “Nothing. Have fun with Ian, Lotte.”

He hung up on her and Charlotte tried not to let her disappointment show. Herc came into the room a moment later and sat down on the bed next to her. She hadn’t realized she’d sat down. Her father wrapped an arm around her shoulders and squeezed. 

“He’ll calm down. Don’t worry, kiddo. He’s just a bit jealous, is all.”

Charlotte flinched and glanced at her father. “He is not jealous.”

“Oh, he is. You think I don’t notice the way that boy looks at you?”

“God, Herc. He’s known me since I was fifteen. He’s six years older than me. He’s never seen me as anything more than a little sister.”

Herc pulled away and stood to look down at his eldest child. “You keep believin’ that, Charlie.” He patted her cheek and left the room. Charlotte finished packing on autopilot. When she finally joined Herc downstairs, duffel in hand, she was thoroughly wrung out. 

Ian sauntered up to her with a lazy smile and a travel cup of coffee. “One sugar, right?”

Charlotte managed a real smile at him before answering. “Yes. God, I’m tempted to hit my knees in thanks for this.”

Ian blushed a bit. Several of the PPDC entourage surrounding them, Tatiana Grigorovich included, flushed and stared at her. Herc glared though, and Charlotte refrained from saying anything else. She would not be denied her entertainment for the next three weeks of this press tour. Flustering Ian and pissing off Tatiana were about to become her gold-medal Olympic events. Especially now that she and Yancy were fighting, again. Charlotte refused to drag Raleigh into the middle of the fights she had with his brother, but when she wasn’t talking to one of them, the other certainly suffered too. 

Lost in her thoughts and coffee, Charlotte didn’t realize Ian was speaking to her. “Huh?”

“You really aren’t human in the mornings are you? Maybe you should have let me wake you up properly, hmm?”

“Maybe I needed to walk straight today.”

Herc growled at the two of them. “I am _right here._ ”

“Hard to miss ya, sasquatch,” Charlotte grumbled under her breath as Ian sprang away from her. Herc glowered at her and she smiled sweetly back at her father, completely unrepentant. The arrival of the cars taking them to the airport stopped the two Hansens from beginning their daily bickering early.


	6. Am I Coming Out of Left Field?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Originally posted 22 May 2017. Fully edited and Beta'd by 24 December 2017. 
> 
> Those Two Clownshoes (go read that amazing story by GutterBall) start to realize some things. Adorable dogs! Mako is unimpressed with Raleigh and Chuck. The Hansen family is hilariously uncouth. 
> 
> P.S. Stella Hansen is adorable. 
> 
> P.P.S. Here's GutterBall's series of joyful excitement and angst: http://archiveofourown.org/series/448390

\------February 25, 2025------

**0900 Hours, Hong Kong Shatterdome, Med-bay, Room 30, non-isolation ward—Occupants: Ranger Raleigh Becket, Ranger Chuck Hansen**

It took Chuck Hansen precisely one week to figure out why Raleigh’s nightmares had been getting worse. Visits from Mako and Tendo each on a day when the two injured Rangers did not have matching PT schedules and Chuck was uncharacteristically alone, put his mind on the idea that the nightmares were getting worse in the first place. Then his sister’s near-midnight visit a three days later made him realize that it was _not_ just Pitfall the older Ranger was dreaming of, but also of the worst day of his life. Then the Kaidonovskys called from Russia, again on a day Chuck was alone in the room for a few hours, and reminded him that the end of the week would mark five years since Knifehead. 

It took Chuck a week to put all this together. A week and the help of everyone else in the bloody Dome to realize what he should have from the start. Three goddamned weeks later, the best Jaeger pilot ever, fuck you very much Herc, had no fucking clue how to help his friend beyond holding him at night until he went back to sleep.

Mako came by at least one night a week and held Raleigh herself when she couldn’t handle the emotions coming through their ghost drift. But Chuck was at a loss. He wasn’t good with emotions. He didn’t talk about feelings, he beat them into submission, and then beat the people who dared mention he had feelings. 

He was fully aware that his sister called him a “cranky ginger koala” behind his back with frightening regularity, but he also knew that he’d be even less well-adjusted without her. That and, best Jaeger pilot or not, she’d kick his ass all over the Dome if he bitched about the nickname. Helping Raleigh with the continued fallout of Knifehead and two solo drifts, one into another fucking universe, was way too far out of Chuck’s wheelhouse. But, now that Chuck could call Raleigh his friend, he felt obligated to help. 

Growing up in Shatterdomes and training to fight Kaiju from age eleven onward meant that Chuck had few friends to start with and all of the ones still alive were just as traumatized. Mako Mori was damaged by her first brush with a Kaiju, and until Raleigh came along, Chuck was the person she’d always come to for commiseration and the need to release some anger. Now, Chuck realized, part of the reason he’d hated Raleigh so much upon his arrival was because it was _painfully_ obvious that he and Mako were almost perfectly drift compatible. 

Chuck felt replaced the moment he spied the two of them grinning at each other in the rain on the helipad. Then his dad welcomed him in with a tray of food and a smile like Charlotte wasn’t still stuck in Sydney, forced to watch them go on a suicide mission from half a world away. Like that gesture wasn’t supposed to spark a similar memory for Becket, to offer an open door into the broken little Hansen family as he and Yancy did years before. The shared memory from the drift had Chuck throwing a gobful at Raleigh and then bailing out with a snappy line. That was then, when anger dominated his every cell. Now, with a near death experience and several weeks of bonding time between them, Chuck was cursing his own prickly nature. 

The sound of Raleigh’s crutches tapping away on the floor broke Chuck out of his thoughts and the younger pilot struggled upright out of his chair. His right leg was still wrapped in a thigh-to-ankle cast for another two weeks. Raleigh’s own leg was now in a knee-to-ankle soft cast only, but until the docs were convinced he wouldn’t exacerbate his injuries, he stayed in the med-bay. The Ranger himself sailed on his crutches into the room with a wide grin accompanied by an equally smiling Mako. Chuck narrowed his eyes at the two of them. When they smiled like that, mischief was afoot, as his Nana would have said. Chuck stared at them expectantly, waiting for one of them to break. He was surprised when Mako spoke first. 

“Chuck! We have a surprise for you.”

“A surprise. Mako, you know I hate surprises.” Chuck said slowly.

“I do, Chuck-kun, but this will make you smile. I promise.”

Chuck arched an eyebrow and looked at her copilot. “Ray, what have you done to her? Mako doesn’t grin like an idiot. Mako stoically dumps birthday presents in your lap and glares at you until you tell her that you like it. She does not _smile_ or do _surprises._ ”

Raleigh’s smile changed to a completely self-satisfied smirk. “I like to think I’ve brought out the best in you both. She smiles more, and you’re less of a shithead.” 

Chuck balanced on his left leg and swung his crutch at the other Ranger in one fluid motion. Raleigh reacted quickly and parried the crutch with one of his own and they devolved into a wobbly fencing match. Mako finally shoved them both into chairs and took their crutches away. 

“Honestly, the two of you are worse than Stella, and she is only four.”

Both of them exclaimed, “hey,” then glared at each other and started throwing pillows. Mako huffed and smacked Raleigh across the chest with the end of his crutch. 

“Ow! Mako!”

“We have a surprise, remember?”

“Oh, yeah. Sorry,” he grinned at her, sheepishly. 

“What’s the surprise then?” Chuck interrupted. 

Mako delivered the crutches back to both men, with stern glares daring them to use them as weapons again. “Come, we must go to the Marshal’s office.”

Chuck groaned. He was nowhere near as fast as Raleigh on his crutches with the full leg cast on, it would take them ages to get the three floors up to his father’s office. Mako, ever the prepared one, met both of the still-healing pilots with wheelchairs once he reached the hallway. Chuck happily deposited himself into the chair and grinned. 

He’d been itching to work on his upper body strength and mobility since getting the all-clear from his doctors to exercise again. He was not going to allow his extensive scarring to heal haphazardly and impair his movement. Raleigh’s had done so after Knifehead and his left side would never be the same as a result. Which is why Chuck flinched a bit as Raleigh deposited himself into the chair, wincing.

“You gonna push me Mako?” Raleigh asked with fake sweetness and a ridiculous set of puppy eyes. 

“No. I heard your physical therapist tell you to work on your upper body mobility an hour ago. You will do this yourself.”

Chuck repressed a grin. “Oi. You two dragged me out of the room for a surprise. You’d better follow through.”

Mako started down the hallway and Chuck waited to make sure Raleigh got enough momentum going before rolling along behind them. The Domes all had five elevators. One at each corner with separate designations for the people and materials allowed inside and a fifth in the center that was specially reserved for the medical staff and patients. Mako led them to the far end of the med-bay to this lift. 

It was a long roll for both injured pilots, but this lift would deposit them twenty feet from the Marshal’s office. It would also be devoid of the bustling staff transporting themselves and equipment back into the Hong Kong Dome now that Charlotte and Herc had begun securing private funding. 

The ride up the six floors was short as this elevator was meant to be an express route for medical to report to any point in the Dome within three minutes. The doors opened and the three Rangers were greeted with the sight of Stella Hansen’s riotous ginger curls and gap-toothed smile. The four-year-old squealed “they’re here,” and ran towards her grandfather’s office. Chuck glared at the back of Mako and Raleigh’s heads as they moved ahead of him. Mako reached the door first and held it open. Herc repurposed a conference room as his office and it, thankfully, had no stairs to block Chuck or Raleigh’s entry into the room. The faded impression of Pentecost in Chuck’s head reminded him that the stairs to the former Marshal’s office existed to force those who entered onto his level and that every time he descended them he came down to meet everyone else on theirs. Chuck twitched a bit at the memory. 

Chuck rolled himself inside to find Max and Stella completely engrossed by a box at the far end of the room. It was shoved halfway under Herc’s desk, a repurposed glass work table from LOCCENT, and there were blankets hanging out of it. Herc and Charlotte were on the opposite end of the room, separated by a soundproof glass divider. They were obviously arguing with whatever bureaucrat was on the screens in front of them and Chuck was glad they’d remembered to close the divider. Stella picked up some choice phrases her first few trips to her mother’s office as a baby. Now the girl was smart enough to ask what a “goddamned cock-sucking bastard” meant and no one wanted to have that conversation for at least another twenty or thirty years at least. 

Mako tapped on the divider to get the other Hansens’ attention and then deposited herself at the conference table she used as her own desk. Charlotte and Herc emerged a moment later and Chuck decided he was thoroughly confused. 

“Sorry, Mako. Staughton is causing us problems. He’s figured out that we pulled Robotechnic and Bremen-Tech to contract with us directly and is trying to get the committee member countries to pull their contracts with them. Dr. Gottlieb and Wilhelm are fighting back though; he wasn’t expecting that. He sicced Ambassador Cole on us. That old bastard is terrified of Charlie, nearly pissed ‘imself when he saw her.” Herc said tiredly, but smirking faintly at the idea of the Pommy bastard cowering in front of his daughter.

Chuck tried not to smile at the image. Then he tried not to frown. His father’s accent was becoming nearly indecipherable. That meant he wasn’t sleeping again. A quick look to his sister showed that she recognized the problem as well. They quickly, and silently, communicated with each other, agreeing to force the old man to agree to twelve hours of off time. As it was, Charlotte pushed their father into a chair next to Chuck, boxing her brother in between Raleigh and Herc, and moved to pick up the box. 

Stella “helped” her mother carry it over and place it gently in Chuck’s lap. Raleigh was grinning so widely, Chuck was sure his face would stick that way and Mako was smiling serenely. Herc even grinned a bit, especially after his granddaughter crawled into his lap and began demanding that Chuck look inside. Once he did, his jaw dropped. The box contained a nest of standard issue PPDC blankets and what looked suspiciously like one of Raleigh’s ratty wool sweaters. Curled up in the nest and staring up at Chuck was the fluffiest puppy he’d ever seen. 

“Holy shit.”

“Mum, Uncle Chuck said shit.” Stella deadpanned. 

“That he did, love.” Charlotte intoned, smacking her brother lightly on the back of the head. She was smiling though. 

Chuck gingerly lifted the completely silent puppy out of the box and Charlotte set it back on the floor so her brother could cradle the dog in his lap. Max trotted up and propped himself up on his master’s knees to get a closer look at the puppy. The bulldog grinned and bumped noses with the tiny ball of fluff. Said tiny ball of fluff accepted some licks and pets and then began scrambling over towards Raleigh. Chuck sat in openmouthed silence the whole time. 

He placed the puppy in Raleigh’s lap and sat wide-eyed as he watched the other Ranger’s demeanor change completely. Gone was the broken man who’d spent the last five years in pain and disgrace and in his place was the happy, swaggering young man Chuck admired as a teenager. This is how he would help his friend. Charlotte cleared her throat and Chuck, blushing, whipped around to look at his family. 

“Okay, this surprise I like. Where did the little fluff ball come from?” He finally managed to get out, proud that he didn’t sound as choked up as he felt. Raleigh’s attention never left the puppy and Chuck’s attention was firmly dragged back to the other man before Herc could answer him. 

“One of Crimson’s tech’s found the little Sheila wandering the damage from Otachi. She led him back to a litter of five other pups. They’re all purebred Chow Chows. The tech kept one and brought this little girl here. Said Max deserved a friend. Hannibal Chau is keeping the other four as his new guard dogs.”

Chuck still only had eyes for Raleigh and was adequately disguising his focus from everyone but his sister. He glanced at her and found a smug grin on her face, which he studiously ignored, the back of his neck flushing a bit. Raleigh was still completely enthralled by the ten pounds of fluffy dog in his lap. 

“Well, Max could definitely use a friend. But, uh, Ray, I think she’s already decided you belong to her.”

Raleigh blushed, and damn if that didn’t make Chuck hotter under the collar, and looked up at him. “She was supposed to be _your_ surprise, kid.”

“Nah. She likes me and my dog, but that’s love at first sight there, mate. I’ll help you train her, yeah? But she’s _all_ yours.”

The way Raleigh stared at him, smiling like Chuck hung the moon, made the younger Ranger blush harder than he’d done since his awkward teen years. They held each other’s gaze, completely absorbed in one another for several long seconds, before Stella Hansen snapped them out of it.

“Uncle Raleigh,” she asked. And there was something else making Chuck’s blush inch its way down his body, damn his ginger complexion. “What are you going to name her?”

“Um. Well, I don’t know. I’ve never had a dog before. Where did Max get his name?”

Chuck looked away from the other Ranger and locked eyes with his sister. She’d shown up with the two-month old English bulldog two days after the Hansens and Lucky Seven had been assigned to the brand new Sydney Shatterdome in 2017. Scott threatened to throw the puppy out, but Herc put his foot down and allowed his kids to keep the little guy. He knew she was planning on leaving for the Academy in June, less than a month away. Chuck didn’t know and Charlotte was never going to leave her brother behind without someone there to protect him. 

Herc and his son were barely speaking and Charlotte was the only glue holding their little family together. So she’d disappeared into the city for six hours and hunted down a new intermediary. The siblings spent hours arguing over a name while Herc looked on. They finally settled on naming the dog after the one movie character they both liked. And so the puppy was christened Maximus Decimus Meridius after Russell Crowe’s character from Gladiator. Explaining why that character meant so much to the siblings was not an easy conversation and Chuck faltered. Luckily, Herc stepped in and kept either of his children from sinking further into the rabbit hole that was their family trauma. 

“He’s named after that bloke from Gladiator, yeah? Maximus. They,” he jerked his thumb at both his kids, “argued for hours over what to name him.”

Raleigh grinned at Herc and then Charlotte. He settled his gaze on Chuck again for a moment and then dropped it back to the sleeping puppy in his arms. He knew the movie very well. He and Yancy watched it dozens of times as teens before the K-War. It remained a favorite after the appearance of the Kaiju and through their tenure as pilots. The movie’s themes hit so many of the right chords with his life experience and it seemed the same for the Hansens as well. Petting the dog in his lap, Raleigh debated on what to name her. Just as Stella was getting antsy once more, he decided. 

“I’m gonna call her Lucy.”

Chuck couldn’t help it, he snorted. “Lucy. Really, mate?”

Raleigh levelled the pilot with an intense, unimpressed stare. “Short for Lucilla.”

Chuck gulped.


	7. (Do I Wanna Know) If This Feeling Flows Both Ways

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Originally edited 3 July 2017. Fully edited and Beta'd by 24 December 2017. 
> 
> Here's where the tag of ALL THE ANGST comes into play. Hansens and Beckets are not all that great at the communication thing. Marshal Stacker Pentecost is done with this shit, but is still a dad. Raleigh plays referee and is generally smarter than he looks. But he's still only twenty and therefore kind of an idiot. Yancy is an emotionally constipated jackass. Charlotte is a pissed off eighteen-year-old with a lot of family issues.

\-----Monday, November 5, 2019-----

**1100 HRS—Banyan Tree Hotel, Macau, China**

Charlotte Hansen was exhausted. She’d travelled to three countries in the last four days and was unable to reach her best friends for the last forty-eight hours. The glad-handing and diplomatic answers she was expected to give to every bureaucrat and journalist along the way from Christchurch to Macau taxed her to near breaking point. The only plus to the journey thus far was that Ambassador Grigorovich contracted some illness in Port Moresby and been forced to remain behind with his devoted wife. 

Tatiana Grigorovich was a shameless Jaeger fly who hunted pilots down with ruthless efficiency, bedding every one she could. Charlotte turned her down multiple times and had spent the last four days engaged in a shell game with Ian Staughton to keep the harpy’s claws out of her fellow pilot. Finding out that the ambassador was ill and not coming to Macau after all had been the best part of her morning. 

The worst part, she thought, was the call she was currently receiving from Marshal Pentecost. She flashed back to their late-night arrival at the luxury hotel in Macau and the reporters she’d spoken to while waiting on her father to receive room keys. She didn’t remember saying anything that would warrant a direct call from the Marshal, but a sleep-deprived and annoyed Hansen was never a predictable Hansen and there was no telling what had been caught on camera. 

Charlotte hesitantly pressed the button on her phone to engage the holo-screen and answer the call. Marshal Stacker Pentecost’s face filled the screen and Charlotte sat up a little straighter, a habit the Marshal himself instilled in her as a guest teacher at the Academy. 

“Good morning Ranger.”

“Marshal.” Charlotte nodded. “How can I help you?”

Stacker Pentecost glanced off screen and back to his friend’s daughter. “I am not calling as the Marshal of the PPDC this morning, Charlotte.”

Charlotte blanched. “Is it Chuck? Is he okay?”

“Your brother is fine, Charlie. No, I am calling from Anchorage, not Kodiak Island.” Charlotte sighed in relief and dropped her head into her hands. “Charlotte. _Charlotte.”_

She looked up, unashamed at the relieved tears rolling down her face. Two recruits from her own academy class died during training. She knew Chuck was top of his class, but she would never shake the fear that her brother could die any moment. Scissure taught her such fear. Stacker Pentecost’s normally stoic façade broke as he looked at the eighteen-year-old Jaeger pilot. He was reminded of his children and he hoped to keep them both out of Jaegers for as long as possible. Herc Hansen may be his friend, but the man was losing his children by degrees to this war. 

“I am calling because of the Beckets. Officer Tendo Choi has informed me that there are a total of twenty calls from you to both Rangers over the last two days.” Charlotte blushed. “You’ve been trying to get in touch with them.”

“Yes sir.”

“I regret to inform you that both Rangers have spent the last forty-eight hours in the brig. They tore up a bar in Anchorage and were escorted back to the Dome drunk and belligerent. They will be released in one hour. I assume one or both of them will call you. I have already spoken to them and I felt it necessary to warn you about what you’re going to hear. They will be on a two-week suspension. I suggest, as their friend, that you talk to them and force them to figure out their issues. I will not have my Rangers falling apart in the middle of this war, Charlotte.”

Charlotte gaped at the Marshal. A two-week suspension after a couple nights in the brig meant that this was serious. The Beckets were arguably the best active Jaeger pilots and Gipsy the best Jaeger in service. To ground them was practically a guarantee that a Kaiju was going to level a city. 

“I’ll start calling them every hour on the hour as soon as they are released, sir. Thank you for the heads up. But, um, before you go, sir, is there any reason I should show them any pity? Or should I unleash hell on them?”

Pentecost grinned, looking like a shark. “Unleash hell, Charlotte. Just promise me that you won’t let yourself get dragged into this.”

Charlotte practically vibrated out of her seat. She’d gotten Pentecost to smile. “I can’t promise that sir. I won’t. Any trouble those two attract latches on to me with a vengeance. I’ll help pull them out of it if I can, but I’m gonna dive into it headfirst to do so. Pretty sure I always will, yeah?”

Stoic mask back in place, Pentecost nodded. “I thought you’d say that. Well, I hope you won’t end up regretting it this time, Charlotte. Try to protect yourself here. Please.”

“I will, sir.”

“Goodbye, Charlotte.”

“Goodbye, sir.”

\-----

The next few hours of Charlotte’s life were long and stressful. Just as she’d promised the Marshal, she began calling the Becket boys every hour on the hour. Eight calls later, and Charlotte knew she was being ignored. She’d begged off the press events today with the flimsy excuse of jet lag. Her father hadn’t batted an eye and Charlotte was sure that the Marshal told him what was happening. A quick glance at the clock told her it was almost time for the ninth phone call. 

Charlotte sighed and finished the beer she’d been nursing since the last ignored call. She tried to think of the last time she and the boys shared a completely happy day. One single day where she hadn’t seen them fight or fought with them herself. The only day she could come up with was at the end of July the year before. She’d joined the boys in Los Angeles a week after their defeat of Clawhook in San Diego. They’d spent the whole day running around the city and reaping the benefits of their status as Jaeger pilots. 

Yancy and Raleigh were still three months away from their transfer to the Icebox and Charlotte a little over four months away from nearly losing her father to Scott’s idiocy. She’d still been dating Thomas, another J-Tech at the Sydney dome, and spent the whole day enduring Yancy’s teasing and Raleigh’s stubborn insistence that no one was good enough for his Lotte. The whole day had been devoted to fun and they enjoyed it in spades. 

Even later, after Yancy glared not so subtly at her for flirting outrageously with their waiter in an attempt to subvert the US’ insane drinking age, the three managed to lounge on the roof of the Shatterdome for hours in near silence. The next day Charlotte fielded several angry phone calls from Thomas who’d thought the pictures of Yancy and Raleigh carrying her and touching her all day were proof she was sleeping with at least one of them. She’d then packed her stuff up and left early because Chuck broke his arm climbing one of Lucky Seven’s legs to help repair a damaged panel. 

The day she left was the last time she’d seen either of her boys in person. She’d dumped Thomas, and kicked his ass for good measure, three hours after returning to Sydney. A fact which made both boys crow with excitement and then focused on her upgrades to Lucky Seven and keeping her brother out of trouble with his broken arm. They’d fallen back into their routine of twice-weekly calls, but nothing had been the same. 

The shrill sound of her phone ringing startled Charlotte. She hit the button to activate her holo-screen and found an exhausted and pissed off Raleigh staring at her. Someone muttered off screen and Raleigh whipped around. 

“It is _not_ her fault, asshole. This is all on you. Now get out. I told you I don’t want to look at you for a while.” There was a pause as Yancy obviously made for the door, Raleigh staring at him. Charlotte heard the elder Becket speak one last time. “Not my fault either, dickhead. You made the decision. You’re gonna suffer the consequences. And, yeah, that means I’d much rather talk to Charlotte right now.”

The sound of the door slamming signaled that Yancy left. Raleigh sighed and used both hands to rub his face. “Sorry, Lotte. It’s been a rough few days.”

“No shit, Sherlock. What happened?”

“Your fight with him triggered a blow up.”

“So it is my fault then.”

“Yes. No. I mean no. I told you, he and I have been fighting for a few weeks yeah? Well his bullshit reaction to seeing Ian in your room the other day just set him off. He went out that night and didn’t come back until it was time for a drift test the next day. When we did the test I saw something. It threw me out of alignment and he brushed it off like nothing was wrong, like he’d done nothing wrong. Tendo convinced us to take our fight off base before we got in trouble. We ended up in a bar, trading shots, and then we really started in on each other. Next thing I know I threw him over the bar and we trashed the place til Bruce and Trevin showed up and dragged us out. We spent the last two days in the brig arguing with each other. The Marshal even came by and ripped us a new one.”

“Ray. Shut up.” Charlotte interrupted. She could see him gearing up for a screaming fit. “What the fuck does this have to do with me?”

Raleigh had the decency to clam up and look sheepish. “Um. Well. Okay, so I feel like I shouldn’t tell you this. Cause its only something I know because of the drift.”

_“Raleigh!”_ Charlotte growled. 

“Yancy has been in love with you for at least a year. Probably longer. And he was so fucking jealous the other night that he went out and fucked that girl I’ve been talking to, Naomi. He said it was just another meaningless fuck, but I was in his head and I saw that it was because of you. He’s been eating himself alive trying to ignore his feelings, cause he’s Yancy fucking Becket and he doesn’t do _feelings._ So I called him out on screwing the girl I was interested in and that started the fight. Then we really got into it when I accused him of being a chickenshit coward for not talking to you about how he feels. He said it didn’t matter how he felt because you were a heartless bitch who screwed anyone she wanted and he could fuck anyone, anytime and your feelings didn’t matter. It really just fell apart from there.”

Charlotte gaped a little. She couldn’t believe she was hearing this. “That bastard. That complete and total dickhead. What the actual fuck.”

Raleigh was more than a little surprised at the fury in Charlotte’s response. He’d seen the temperamental woman angry in the years he’d known her, even made her angry more than a few times, but this was complete rage. “Lotte…”

“No! That fuckwit has no right. None. I didn’t even sleep with the bloody Pommy!”

“Lotte. Lotte. _Lotte!”_

Charlotte levelled her best friend with a scorching glare that silenced him immediately. The eighteen-year-old Australian was on a tear. 

“That rooting sook thinks he can do whatever the bloody fuck he wants and it’s us poor bastards that are left with the mess. He’s turning into my goddamned Uncle Scott. And, this, this just bloody takes the fuckin’ cake. He fucked with your drift, Ray. If that hadn’t been a test, he could’ve gotten you both killed, mate. He has _no fucking right to do that._ The drift is silence, if you lose that then you lose the fight. Shit like this is what nearly got my old man killed. Scott’s drugs and rootin’ around took too much of a toll on the drift and it broke. That’s the bullshit I had to climb into a pod for. I had to see my Uncle screwing some underage Jaeger fly in my dad’s memories before he hid it from me. 

“And fuckin’ Hell. I ain’t Yancy’s cook, and I sure as shit ain’t a slag. He’s never given a single shit who I slept with until now. If he’s so fucking emotionally constipated that he can’t talk to me like a normal fucking person when I’m his best fucking friend, then the fucking cunt has no business judging me. I can’t believe he would threaten your lives over stupid fucking shit like this.”

Raleigh let Charlotte growl to herself for a moment before deciding he had enough room to break her rhythm and keep her from ranting. “Lotte? It’s okay. We’re fine. We’ll be fine. Yancy will be back in a minute and you two can talk this out. You can make him listen to you.”

Another blistering scowl shut the American pilot up. “ _No. I won’t._ Do me a favor, Ray. You two have a two-week suspension now. Don’t call me until it’s up. No messages, pictures, nothing. I don’t want to fucking hear from either of you shitheads. I’m sorry, you did nothing wrong. But if I keep thinking about this then I’m gonna burst a vein. Take this time and remind your fuckwit of a brother that you two are more than pilots. Remind him that it was the two of you against the world before the Kaiju, before Jaegers, and…and before me. If, and only if, he figures himself the fuck out and you two have a stable drift again, then the two of you can call me. Until then, keep me out of this shit. I can’t…” Charlotte choked up, the righteous fury being replaced by fear. “I can’t lose you two. You’re my family, Raleigh.”

“Shit, Lotte. No. I will not let this be a reason you cry. It’s not worth it.”

“It _is_ worth it. But you’re right. No tears now. Just promise me you’ll fix this between you, mate. But know this, I am terrified of losing the two of you. That doesn’t mean I’m not fucking furious with your brother, though. He is going to have to engage in some serious groveling.”

“I promise. And Charlotte, I’ll make sure he’s on his knees begging for forgiveness.”

Charlotte gave a curt nod, wiped her eyes and hung up. Raleigh stared at his phone for several long moments before the ghost drift, still thrumming with hostility behind his eyes, pulled his attention to his left. Yancy was standing just inside the door, a stricken look on his face. The older Becket still sported the blossoming bruises of their bar fight, but the look on his face reflected a different kind of pain. 

“How long have you been standing there?” Raleigh intoned coolly. Having his brother and his best friend imploding under the weight of their respective stunted emotions was exhausting and infuriating. 

Yancy blanched. “Since you told her I called her a heartless bitch the other night.”

“Good. Then I don’t need to repeat anything to you.”

Yancy shook his head and crossed to sit on the bottom bunk. 

“She’s right you know. If that had been a deployment and not a test run on Gipsy’s new tech, then I’m pretty sure we’d both be dead now. All that anger and self-hatred you got goin’ on isn’t healthy, Yance. And it sure as hell ain’t fair to me or Charlotte when your inability to control yourself turns into attacks on us.” 

The elder Becket made to interrupt, but Raleigh glared at him. “She’s furious with you for a lot of good reasons and you’re gonna have a hard time fixing this Yance. But first you have to prove to me that you can handle this. We’re the best damn pilots in the Corps and none of this bullshit is worth dying over when we have millions of people to protect. So, take some time to think, yeah? If you’re ready, and serious, about fixing this shit between us then meet me in the Kwoon.” Raleigh stood up and put a hand on his brother’s shoulder. “We may live in each other’s heads, but we still have to actually talk to each other.”

Raleigh pulled away and left their quarters for the Kwoon. He stopped in LOCCENT on the way and asked Tendo to keep him informed of all Charlotte’s movements for the next couple weeks. Just because she said he couldn’t call her didn’t mean he was going to lose track of her. Tendo knew every reliable gossip in the PPDC. If she got into any trouble that she wouldn’t tell Herc about, Raleigh would know and he’d have word sent to any relevant party that could bail her out. By the time he circled around the Icebox to the Kwoon, he’d run out of anger. 

Everyone assumed that Yancy was the strategist of their pilot team, and that was true to a point. But Yancy was more likely to read an opponent quickly and go in for punishing blows early. If those opening moves didn’t work, then Raleigh took over. Dominique Lapierre-Becket always encouraged her boys in their academic work, but Raleigh’s passion for games that required him to multitask put the whole family to shame. He won a few chess tournaments before his mother’s cancer got too bad and picked up Go from a friend in high school. Poker, Risk, Bridge, and Monopoly became staples in Dominique’s hospital waiting rooms as Raleigh tested his skills at reading an opponent and planning ten and fifteen moves ahead on nurses, doctors, patients, etc… Yancy was all about immediate reaction to stimuli. Raleigh was cocky but had the patience to assess beyond the surface and decimate an opponent with a completely unexpected attack. Like strangling a Kaiju with a crane cable. 

Now that his emotions had settled, Raleigh began planning out his attacks to deal with Yancy for the next two weeks. He couldn’t take Yancy head on, they were brothers and spent too much time in each other’s heads for that. He had to come at him sideways. The opening volley had been executed for him by his brother’s own nosiness. Charlotte had effectively broken Yancy wide open with her fury and terrified heartbreak. The two idiots were completely head over heels for each other, but couldn’t admit it. Yancy had no comparison for his feelings as he’d never had time to have a real relationship while their mom was sick. And he’d spent so long worried about what those feelings meant and how the whole situation terrified him that he’d nearly broken the drift. 

Raleigh had to fix it. 

Raleigh _would_ fix it. 

The Becket Boys were the best.


	8. You Might Not Be Let Down

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Originally posted 22 May 2017. Fully edited and Beta'd by 24 December 2017. 
> 
> Cute dogs. Cute flirting. Scary Russian lady and her giant husband. PTSD is a real problem people. 
> 
> There's some dialogue in Russian that's translated and links to artwork at the end.

\--------March 2, 2025------

**1300 HRS, Jumphawk Platform Seven, Hong Kong Shatterdome, Victoria Harbour, Hong Kong, China**

Raleigh watched from his protected spot as Sasha and Aleksis Kaidonovsky directed a few dozen J-techs in unloading the six Jumphawks they’d returned with from the Vladivostok Shatterdome. An anonymous independent buyer purchased all of the Russian PPDC property as well as the Icebox and Oblivion Bay shortly after each location was decommissioned in the wake of the UN budget cuts. That same person was now a silent partner in Charlotte Hansen’s continued efforts to gain independence from the UN. Raleigh had no idea who it was, but Charlotte and Herc both got evasive when this person was mentioned. All Raleigh and Chuck had been able to glean was that the person was a woman and her identity was to remain anonymous for as long as possible. 

The mystery woman happily opened up the two Shatterdomes up to the Kaidonovskys and some of Tendo’s people. Apparently Marshal Pentecost arranged for the private purchase of the properties and so felt comfortable leaving loads of Jaeger parts hidden in the nooks and crannies of the domes. Sasha and Aleksis had been in Vladivostok for a month pulling every bit of extra tech they could find, as well as any former PPDC employees that wanted to return. 

The Hong Kong dome was once again the thriving hub of all PPDC operations. The Vladivostok dome and the Icebox were to be reopened within the next month or so. Sydney, thanks to Charlotte, had never been properly decommissioned. The Australian government had already made overtures with Herc about writing a separate contract with the PPDC from the UN as an oceanographic and scientific organization focused on monitoring the Breach and privatizing Jaeger technology. 

Right now though, Raleigh was watching J-Techs unload armor plating from a Mark IV, probably Indra Gamma, one of the few Mark IVs to fail its first mission.(1) Lucy and Max perked up at the sight of the armor rolling by on carts, but the dogs remained firmly ensconced at the Ranger’s feet. Raleigh, glancing at the dogs, remembered watching the footage from the wall in Russia. Since he’d been reinstated, he’d gone over the after action reports, telemetry, and video for all the downed Jaegers since Knifehead. Indra Gamma truly had been jockeyed by mediocre pilots, to use Chuck’s phrasing. The two Rangers had barely seventy-five percent compatibility and though they scored well in the Academy, they were rigid in a fight, and it cost them. Cherno deployed and held the perimeter wall after Indra fell only two hours into the battle. 

Raleigh was startled out of his maudlin assessment of the failed Jaegers and their dead pilots. Balancing on his own set of crutches and out of the way of the stream of Jaeger parts, this time the legs from Shaolin Rogue, was Chuck. The older Ranger was surprised to see him. He knew Chuck had PT this afternoon and normally the younger man was so exhausted afterwards he hobbled back to the Med-Bay and collapsed on the nearest soft surface only to wake when there was food. Seeing him out here was so unexpected Raleigh stayed silent for nearly a full minute. 

“Mako is gonna kill you for limping all the way down here on those crutches.”

Chuck smirked. “Nah. She’s too wrapped up with my sister to notice that I crossed the dome without wheels. And I doubt you’ll be telling her, seeing as you’re not sitting down in a chair either, mate.”

“Well, I kind of like the exasperated mother hen look she makes. But you…” Raleigh grinned at the younger man. 

“Me what, Rals?” 

“Oh, nothing. Except that you’re terrified of my copilot.”

Chuck glared, without heat, at the other pilot. “Of course I bloody am! That woman punched me in the throat the first time I met her. She’s fucking insane. Course she’d have to be to get along with you, mate.”

Raleigh levelled a shark grin on Chuck. “The tanker ship bat _was_ my idea.”

“Yeah, fucking brill, mate. But she gave Gipsy swords. _Swords_ , Ray. That’s fucking crackers.”

A clap of thunder shook both pilots out of their cheerful teasing. Both of them had been diagnosed by the PPDC shrinks as having “complex PTSD” as a result of “repeated and long-term exposure to trauma and stressful stimuli relating to the Ranger’s continued piloting of Jaegers, negative experiences in combat with Kaiju, and inadequate psychiatric care.” Raleigh and Chuck both scoffed at the diagnosis and then outright laughed in the doctor’s faces when they’d upped their psych appointments from once, to three times a week. The Academy had, quite literally, drilled self-awareness into their heads. They knew _exactly_ what was wrong with them and neither were quite verbose when it came to their emotions. 

Hong Kong’s monsoon season, and the accompanying thunderstorms, made the anniversary of Knifehead that much more difficult on both pilots. Neither got more than a couple hours sleep a night for the last week. Lucy and Max both whimpered at their masters’ distress and rubbed against both pilots’ ankles for the few moments it took them to settle. 

Raleigh jolted again when lightning flashed, lighting up the neon skyline of Hong Kong with an unearthly orange glow. Chuck immediately wrapped a hand gently around his arm. He knew the other pilot was glimpsing the Anteverse in those colors. Nearly two months stuck together meant that the Rangers shared a lot with each other. His brief view of the other dimension had been terrifying for the older man. The wastes of the Anteverse and the hordes of Kaiju and Precursors haunted his dreams alongside Yancy. 

“Come on, mate. We can watch them bring this stuff in from the Jaeger Bay.”

Chuck gently tugged on the other man until Raleigh adjusted his own crutches, still a bit dazed, and followed him and the dogs into the lift. Lucy and Max gleefully accepted scratches from all the assorted J-Techs in the elevator with them, but faithfully remained at Raleigh’s feet.

Chuck chatted with the techs about the new Mark IV Restoration program and the preliminary blueprints for the Mark VI and VII Jaegers. Raleigh let the sound of the other Ranger’s voice soothe the panic scorching his body. He wanted nothing more than to curl into a ball and hide, but Chuck proved over the last month that he was unwilling to allow such behavior. 

Raleigh appreciated that Chuck wasn’t still pissed at him for running away after Knifehead, and he liked it even better that the younger Hansen was capable of stopping him from wanting to run again. Charlotte, consumed with her own grief, facilitated Raleigh’s escape after Knifehead. But Chuck refused to let something as “bloody ridiculous” as PTSD get the better of him, or any of his friends and family. Raleigh wasn’t allowed to hide anymore because he had constant support in the form of a cranky ginger koala and a feisty copilot. 

The lift rumbled to a halt and the J-Techs insisted that the Rangers accompany them to Cherno’s old station where the Kaidonovskys set up a bar and impressive sound system. The veteran pilots insisted that the bay remain empty in memoriam to the Mark I Jaeger. Their new Jaeger would inhabit the bay next to it. Crimson’s techs had also christened their empty bay as hallowed ground and set up a massive entertainment area. 

The Wei brothers were the stoic pranksters of the Hong Kong dome whose singular goal in their off hours was the simultaneous annoyance and laughter of the entire dome. They’d even managed to prank Marshal Pentecost hours before the Double Event by filling his soap with glitter. The J-Techs who’d known the young men since their early days as Crimson Typhoon’s pilots insisted on purchasing eight of the largest televisions Hannibal Chau could find, every game system made in the last thirty years, and enough couches and comfy chairs to seat sixty people. The Wei Tang’s devotion to fun would live on in this area. 

Raleigh watched, glassy-eyed, as some of Gipsy’s techs challenged several of the nurses to Mario Kart as he followed Chuck towards the bar. The rhythmic thumping of Ukrainian Hard House and the shouts of rage on the Rainbow Road, combined with Chuck’s now constant prattle about the new Jaegers settled Raleigh’s brain out. He still collapsed onto one of the chairs against the wall in Cherno’s bay, but he no longer felt like crawling out of his skin at the sounds of the thunderstorm. 

Lucy whimpered at his feet and he bent to place her in his lap where she curled up and licked his hand. Raleigh understood completely why Chuck was so devoted to Max. The dogs were therapeutic. They didn’t demand anything other than love and care from him and were steadfast little soldiers who keyed into the pilots’ moods and kept them from spiraling too deep. 

Chuck settled into the chair next to him with a beer, handing one off to Raleigh, and they watched the stream of Mark III and IV parts entering the Jaeger bay, occasionally commenting on a particularly damaged or pristine piece of tech that caught their eye. J-Techs wandered over sporadically to scratch a dog’s belly, ask a question about their recovery, or just say hello. All of them were long-time PPDC veterans and, as such, didn’t push the pilots when it was obvious they were both buzzing with the potential for a panic attack. 

Sasha Kaidonovsky though, did not employ such subtlety. The petite Russian woman, a former guard at the infamous Black Dolphin prison where she fell in love with Aleksis during a riot, marched into the Jaeger bay and directly towards the younger pilots. Lucy and Max both abandoned their masters in favor of mauling the woman with kisses despite Raleigh and Chuck’s attempts to call them off. Sasha just laughed and ordered both dogs to sit and stay, in Russian. When they obeyed her commands, the younger pilots blinked hard. The Kaidonovskys had only been back in Hong Kong for ten hours. Neither had met Lucy. Distracted by the dogs, neither pilot registered that Sasha was speaking to them. 

“Little Becket, Little Hansen, you are both doing much better, yes?”

Raleigh responded first as Chuck was still staring at Max with confusion. “Yeah. Docs say we’ll be discharged in a couple weeks. Soft casts come off both our legs in two days. No more crutches after that.”

“This is good. And Miss Mako tells me the _psihiatr_ says you avoid your appointments. This is not good. You must care for mind and body, _moi duraki._ (2)”

The younger men gave her identical sheepish looks. “They didn’t tell us anything we don’t already know, eh, Sasha. The shrinks all want us talking ‘bout our feelings and shit, but they don’t want us to actually _do_ anything, yeah? They told Rals here that he needed to re-experience the trauma in a safe setting so he could learn to deal with it. Fuck, he relives it every night and he’s got me. None of us are gonna trust a shrink when there’s other pilots around who understand us better than any doctor. ‘Sides Rals has my back too. We’re fine, I swear, _tetushka”_ (3)

“Do not _‘tetushka’_ me, Charlie. Your _dyadya_ (4) is on his way. He is very upset with you boys." 

“Sasha, we’re fine. Lucy helps me a lot and between all three Hansens, Mako, and Tendo I’m never alone, okay. They’re keeping me grounded. Besides Charlotte has us overseeing parts of the Jaeger restorations and the set up for the new Academy. We’re keeping busy. And the shrinks wanted us both on a serious cocktail of meds that would keep us from piloting ever again. I may have brain damage, but I’m not an invalid.” 

Sasha studied both of her boys for several long moments. They were not the same men as before Pitfall. None of them were. But the two of them finally recognized the similarities they shared and formed a real friendship. Aleksis sent contentment along the ever-present ghost drift as he wandered up behind his wife and noticed the younger men squirming under her assessing gaze. The two Russians both studied the other Rangers and silently agreed that they would continue the work they started while still in the Med-Bay. They would ground the two men and run interference if necessary. The husband and wife had over fifteen years’ experience dealing with their own PTSD from their time as prison guards and then as pilots. They would use this experience to help their boys. 

_“Moya lyubimaya zhena,_ (5) is only worried. ” Aleksis said without having to ask what they’d been talking about. The Russian pilots were freakily in tune. “As am I. But you help each other, so we respect this. You have our help too. Even if is only to talk. Dogs are good idea as well. We had Leshy and Porewit before joining PPDC. Good dogs. Borzoi, wolfhounds. They kept us happy and safe when minds were troubled. Little Lucy and Max do same. And talk to your copilots. You are right that only other Rangers understand. Enjoy drinks, _moi mal’chiki._ (6)” Aleksis bent his massive frame over and ruffled the younger pilots’ hair. The Kaidonovskys wandered off towards the lift, content that they’d helped their boys. 

Raleigh and Chuck sat in silence, watching the Russians walk away for several long moments. They finally broke down and looked at each other before dissolving into nervous laughter. One of Gipsy’s J-Techs wandered over and dropped a couple toys for the dogs and the Rangers quietly watched as Max taught the rapidly growing Lucy the proper way to play tug-of-war. 

“Thanks.” 

“What, mate?” 

“Thank you. You didn’t have to stick with me earlier.” Raleigh spoke softly, barely audible over the Hard House music. 

“Course I did. We’re friends. ‘Sides it’s not like it didn’t get to me too." 

“Sure. Just, thank you, Chuck.” Raleigh turned to look him in the eye. Chuck blushed, but held his gaze for a beat. 

“No worries, mate.” 

“I really couldn’t figure out why you hated me so much when I showed up, you know. Thought it might be because of your sister or that I ran. But I think I finally get it. You were scared that I was what you’d become if you lost Herc or Lotte in a Jaeger.” 

Chuck glanced at the older man. “What’s got you thinkin’ bout this then?” 

“Trick I learned to keep the panic attacks at bay. Pick a person and focus on everything you know about them. You kept talking earlier, so I focused on you. Realized I know a lot about you but I’d like to know more.” 

“What do ya mean? We’ve been in each other’s pockets last few weeks, mate. You know all the important bits.” 

“Yeah, but I don’t know your favorite color. If you like peas. Or how about if it was you that picked Max to be Striker’s mascot.” 

“Why is any of that important?” Chuck frowned. 

“Because we’re friends. I know you don’t have the most experience with people, but those are the kinds of things friends know about each other. For example, I know that your sister hates the smell of vanilla because she ate too much cake at her ninth birthday party and threw up. And I know that Tendo only actually drinks coffee at the beginning of a shift and then he switches to this organic tea blend that his grandfather made.” 

“Those are bad examples.” 

“Why?” 

“Tendo and Charlie are your best friends, mate. And I know you didn’t say Mako because you know everything about her from the drift. We’re friends, sure, but…" 

“Maybe I think you could be someone that close to me too. I don’t let a lot of people in, Chuck. Never have. You sayin’ you don’t wanna get that close to me?” 

Chuck blinked hard. He knew there was a double meaning or innuendo hidden in Raleigh’s last words. But there couldn’t be, the bloke didn’t think of him like that. They were just friends. And dammit the man was right, Chuck didn’t have a lot of those. Actually he had three left. Mako, Sasha, and Aleksis were practically family in their own right though. He studied Raleigh’s face for a moment, then turned his head to look hard at his beer bottle. 

“Like you said, not a lot of practice in letting people in, mate. Most people I meet want a piece of me cause I’m the youngest Jaeger pilot ever and I’ve got the most Kaiju kills, yeah? Not exactly the environment that promotes trust. And with everything that happened to Charlotte, I didn’t really see a point in letting anyone else in.” 

“So, we let each other in. Not like either of us is going anywhere, right? Our family is here.” 

Chuck was impressed that Raleigh sounded so calm. If he’d started this conversation, then there would have been an argument and possibly a punch thrown already. No one was kidding when they called him angry or twitchy. 

“What exactly are you asking me, Raleigh? I feel like there’s something else going on here.” 

Raleigh levelled him with a cool look. “I am asking you to be my friend. I don’t have many of those left anymore.” 

Raleigh wondered if Chuck realized what he was doing. The kid wasn’t stupid. Yeah, Herc was definitely the calm strategist of the two Striker pilots, but Chuck was a genius, plain and simple. Charlotte’s stories of the kid proved that. He’d blown all the Academy tests out of the water too. Only Mako ever came close to beating his scores when she’d come through a year after he did. 

“Favorite color is blue. Peas are fine, but fuck Brussel sprouts. Max as Striker’s mascot was my idea, but dad thought of the rocket in his mouth. I’m terrified of losing my sister the next time we climb in a pod ‘cause I’ve been in dad’s head for so long I have trouble not rabbiting in hers. And I haven’t spoken to her in three weeks because we had a fight about you. It’s the longest I’ve gone without speaking to her since she left me behind to go to the Academy.” 

“Brussel sprouts are disgusting unless you roast them in the oven with bacon. Why did you and Lotte fight about me?" 

Chuck studied him. He knew the other pilot was up to something, he couldn’t figure out exactly what. But fuck, if the bloke wanted to be friends then he’d spill some secrets. 

“She found out about our fight outside Pentecost’s office. And then she found out exactly what I said to Mako that started the fight. She lit into me. Said none of my emotional shit meant I got to insult my friend or one of hers. I may have reminded her that she hadn’t been much of a friend to you when she helped you run. I suggested that she could have fought harder to get you on medical leave and helped you rather than pushing you out of the only safety net you’d known. Said that her own grief blinded her to what you needed. She punched me.” 

Raleigh took a long drink of his beer. Chuck grabbed one of the few brands he could stand to drink. He didn’t remember telling him his beer preferences, maybe his plan would work. 

“So that’s why you were sporting that bruise on your cheek. I thought you’d face planted during PT or something.” 

Chuck snorted. “Not exactly the response I thought I’d get from you.” 

“She and I had that same fight before you woke up in the Med-Bay. She was right to help me leave, but she definitely wasn’t thinking straight and we both suffered for it. She’s not the same person she used to be. God she’s only twenty-four and she’s already second-in-command here. She’s never had the chance to make harmless mistakes. Every one she’s made is life-altering for herself or someone else. How many pilots did she train at the Academy only to watch them all washout or die? And you’re right she hasn’t been my friend since she showed up, she’s been my commanding officer. You know she’s jealous of you right?” 

“The fuck she is.” 

“No. Really. She and I are drift compatible, even did some simulations with each other in the academy. We know each other inside and out. Only person who knows me better these days is Mako. She can’t be jealous of Mako because she knows what it’s like to have a drift partner fill a void in your soul. But she can be jealous of you. She feels like I’m replacing her. Finding out about the fight was an opening for her. Reminded her that you and I fight all the time too and that she still had a role as my protector, even from her own brother." 

“That’s fucked up.” 

“That’s emotionally stunted older siblings for you.” 

“Guess I should talk to her and apologize then.” 

“Nah. Let her stew. An angry Charlotte gets shit done, and there’s certainly plenty of that to go around. I’ll talk to her if she doesn’t get it together.” 

“So are you replacing one Hansen for the other, mate?” 

“Nope. Just hanging out with the pretty one more.” Raleigh grinned widely as Chuck spluttered and a blush crawled up his neck. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Art that inspired this chapter: 
> 
> 1--http://caustic-substrate.deviantart.com/art/Jaeger-Indra-Gamma-380642798  
> Translations:  
> 2--Psychiatrist, My fools  
> 3--Auntie  
> 4--Uncle  
> 5--My Beloved Wife  
> 6--My Boys


	9. Like Memories Of Dying Days, That Deafen Us Like Hurricanes

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Originally edited 3 July 2017. Fully edited and Beta'd 24 December 2017. 
> 
> Manila. Kaiju fighting. Herc Hansen is a good dad. Hansen and Becket communication skills take a giant leap forward. KAIJU VS. JAEGER FIGHTING!!! Manila. 
> 
> Artwork Inspiration at the End

\-------December 16, 2019------

**0400 HRS, Corregidor Island, aka Miracle Mile, Manila, Philippines**

Lucky Seven and Horizon Brave arrived within moments of each other on the Miracle Mile. Charlotte Hansen radioed the other Jaeger and greeted the Chinese pilots. Xichi Po and Lo Hin Shen chirped happily back at their Australian counterparts. The Mark I pilots had three kills under their belts already and were confident they could handle anything with Lucky Seven at their backs. Both Jaegers were stationed at the Hong Kong dome and the four pilots spent a lot of time together. The Wei Tang brothers gleefully accepted Chuck Hansen into their clan of pranksters, so the remaining pilots used their time to try and rein in the unruly teenagers. The Weis had calmed down, marginally, now that Chuck was at the academy though. 

Deputy Marshal Li Xiu Yang’s voice echoed over the chatter from the four pilots. “Rangers, a Category III Kaiju has emerged from the Breach. Designation MN-19. It registers as fastest Kaiju on record, moving at twenty knots. We have deployed a third Jaeger to assist, ETA forty minutes. You are to hold the Miracle Mile Rangers.”

Both Jaeger teams barked out a quick, “Understood, sir” in perfect Cantonese, too much time in Hong Kong coloring their language skills. Each Jaeger took up defensive positions on either side of the island, watching for the tell-tale glow of the Kaiju’s bioluminescence to signal its arrival. Twenty then thirty minutes passed with no sign of the Kaiju. Charlotte glimpsed her father’s memory of tracking insurgents in Afghanistan and agreed with him. The K-Science division had a new theory, proposed by its frenetic co-chief, Dr. Geiszler, that the Kaiju were not mindless beasts, but targeted missiles. Manila had been hit four times since Hundun in February, 2014. Each time the Kaiju came at the city from a different angle. MN-19 had been tracked swimming around the north end of Luzon Island, heading straight for Manila Bay. LOCCENT was now feeding dual ETA countdowns into the conn-pods of both Jaegers. One for the fast-moving Kaiju and another for the third Jaeger. 

The sudden exclamation of “Kaiju sighted on Kaibubo Beach,” from one of the English LOCCENT techs, startled the Hansens. Horizon Brave was much closer and Po radioed in that they were in route to intercept. Deputy Marshal Li’s voice crackled over the comms, “Gipsy Danger inbound. Deployment in eight minutes. Lucky Seven move to support Horizon Brave.” 

Herc felt a thrill and then a quick burst of anger through the drift and glanced at his daughter as they seamlessly turned Lucky around and began running towards Mount Mariveles. “In pursuit, LOCCENT.” Charlotte barked out. “Come on, old man. We’re gonna miss all the fun.” 

“Don’t call me that!”

Charlotte laughed and pushed herself to run harder. She’d spent the last year making upgrades to Lucky Seven and she was now the fastest Mark I in service. Lighter and better armored too. After the Melbourne attack, Charlotte and her replacement as Chief J-Tech for Lucky installed all of the bells and whistles from the new Mark IVs as the T-90 could handle. She was a lean machine now. 

As Lucky Seven rounded the tip of the island, the dual war-horns of Gipsy Danger sounded to their right. Horizon Brave was already engaged in combat a half-mile ahead of both Jaegers. The Hansens turned to see who would reach the other Mark I first and realized that neither would get there before the massive Category III Kaiju destroyed Horizon Brave and her pilots. 

“Lotte, run.” Yancy’s voice sounded in the conn-pod. 

The Hansens hadn’t slowed down, but now they really were running full out towards the dormant volcano. If MN-19 hit the beach on the other side of the Bataan peninsula and made into Manila Bay, Gipsy and Lucky would be chasing the bastard through Metro Manila instead of holding it away from the civilian population. 

Herc radioed Horizon to hold the line, both of the other Jaegers were coming. Po managed to send a garbled, “Hurry up!” back. 

Just as Lucky Seven cleared the backside the small town of Mariveles, and barreled into the forest, an unholy scream echoed across the comms that Herc left open. Horizon Brave flew over the treetops towards the town, landing on a few buildings, a gaping hole opened up in the chest where its nuclear power source resided. The Hansens glimpsed a massive gray body pushing through the trees towards the far side of the peninsula and ran after the Kaiju. It truly was the fastest Kaiju on record as it easily outpaced both Lucky Seven and Gipsy. The Kaiju finally turned and found itself on the coastal highway, allowing it to move even faster. By the time both Jaegers glimpsed it again it was knee deep in the waters off the eastern side of the peninsula.(1)

MN-19 glanced back, gauging the distance between itself and the two pursuing Jaegers, and dived into the bay. Lucky and Gipsy both grabbed onto its tail and pulled it back out of the water. Charlotte barked an order out to Gipsy to remember a simulation. Both Yancy and Herc received a brief memory of their copilots swinging a Kaiju by the tail in a sim. Gipsy, the heavier and stronger of the two, gripped harder and began swinging the Kaiju, managing to fling it back towards Corregidor Island and the Miracle Mile. 

Lucky Seven intercepted the flailing Kaiju with a swift punch to the head that sprawled it out in the water. Kaiju and Jaeger traded blows for several long minutes as Gipsy moved to flank the massive creature. Yancy powered up the plasma cannon on Gipsy’s right hand and moved in close to take a shot at the Kaiju despite its armored back. Before the Beckets could aim properly, the Kaiju whipped around and smacked the cannon away from itself, the shot arcing out over the bay. The creature tackled Gipsy and rolled it across the beach of the island. Lucky took the opportunity to deploy its sting blades and leapt onto the back of the Kaiju pinning Gipsy in the surf. The Hansens slammed both blades into the gap between the Kaiju’s armored back and sides and held on as it bucked them like an unbroken horse. 

Gipsy rolled out from under the thrashing beast and powered up both plasma cannons. Yancy shouted through the open comms for Lucky to pull the Kaiju up and the Hansens managed to plant their feet and make it rear up, exposing the less-armored abdomen. Gipsy unloaded both cannons into the Kaiju’s belly. It roared and flipped the Mark I off its back. Lucky flew into Gipsy, tipping both Jaegers into the bay on the eastern side of the island. The Kaiju shook itself, dislodging its armored plates of skin like scabs, and ran towards the Jaegers. 

“Christ, what will it take to kill this bastard?” Herc growled out as the Jaegers scrambled to their feet and braced themselves in the bay. 

“Plasma cannons are down here. Got anything up your sleeve, Lotte?” Yancy asked. 

Charlotte bombarded Herc with a deluge of images and scenarios, silently asking through the drift if any of them seemed viable based on the specs of both Jaegers. Herc analyzed as quickly as his daughter thought up new options. 

“Right,” he finally announced as the Kaiju warily advanced on the Jaegers. “Gipsy, keep the bastard busy. We’ve got an idea.”

“I love ideas!” Raleigh gleefully intoned across the comms. The Beckets crouched and ran at the oncoming Kaiju. 

The monster balked and Gipsy veered around it and back into the bay towards Cavite City. The Kaiju roared and took off after the Mark III, ignoring Lucky Seven. Inside the Mark I’s conn-pod, Charlotte and Herc were rerouting power to the Jaeger’s arms and legs and setting the nuclear reactor up for a fuel purge. Set up complete, they took off towards the fighting monster and robot, who were now destroying Cavite City. 

“Incoming Gipsy! Get clear of the bastard, we’re gonna do a fuel purge!” Charlotte shouted. 

Gipsy Danger activated its left elbow rocket and landed a punch right across the Kaiju’s nose that set it reeling. The Jaeger quickly backed away and the Becket boys watched as Lucky Seven once again leapt onto the back of the Kaiju, sting blades drawn.(2) This time though, they dug the blades into the Kaiju’s neck, twisting them in and using all the rerouted power to hold on. Herc activated the fuel purge and radioactive waste vented out onto the monster’s back, melting through the armored skin and causing it to howl in pain. This time Lucky did not escape the bucking Kaiju unscathed. 

It reached around and ripped the Jaeger off its back, leaving both of Lucky’s forearms attached to its neck by the sting blades. Charlotte and Herc both screamed across the open comms as they were electrocuted by the feedback in their drivesuits. 

Gipsy slammed back into the Kaiju on its left side and drove it into the ground, belly up. Kaiju Blue blood erupted all over the highway they fought on as the sting blades were dislodged. Yancy used Gipsy’s right arm to pin the creature as Raleigh slammed the left fist into the Kaiju’s head over and over again, the elbow rocket firing up repeatedly. When the rocket finally gave up, Raleigh reached down and dug the fingers of Gipsy’s left hand into the Kaiju’s bleeding throat and Yancy activated the elbow rocket on the right. 

The Mark III landed blow-after-blow into the Kaiju’s face until it finally shook and died. Just to be sure, Gipsy reached for one of Lucky’s arms, now lying on the road next to the Kaiju and kept beating the beast until the brain was splattered all over the highway. Standing up, Gipsy stomped down hard on the Kaiju’s chest, cracking its ribs. The Beckets kept stomping until the whole right leg was coated to the knee in Kaiju Blue. 

“No pulse.” Yancy declared. 

He was distracted by the sight of three dozen Jumphawks descending on their location and the sound of both Hansens whimpering in pain from Lucky’s conn-pod. 

“Lotte, you alright?” Raleigh asked. 

“Is the bastard dead?” Charlotte shouted, choking back a sob. 

“Yeah. Jumphawks are here. Have you two disengaged?” Yancy called out, concerned at the pain he heard from both the Hansens.

“I’m getting her out now, boys. She’s tangled up in some wiring. Contact LOCCENT. We’ll see you soon.” Herc cut his daughter off as she launched into an expletive filled rant about conn-pod wiring. 

“Lotte?” Yancy asked, waiting to get yelled at. 

“I’m fine, Yance. Nothing a few plasters and a shot of whiskey won’t fix. Disengage and help the retrieval team get Gipsy out of here.” She answered, obviously in pain. 

\----------

**1145 HRS, PPDC satellite facility, Fort Santiago, Manila, Philippines**

Four hours after Gipsy’s fourth Kaiju kill, the three Jaeger teams were all released from medical with a variety of mild injuries. The Beckets both had new drivesuit scarring along their torsos where the Kaiju landed a vicious blow to Gipsy’s midsection. Xichi Po and Lo Hin Shen both had broken arms and would be out of commission, along with Horizon Brave, for several weeks as both pilots and Jaeger were repaired. 

Charlotte and Herc Hansen both had deep tissue bruising along their bodies, but Charlotte left the Med-Bay with bandages wrapping both her forearms from wrist to elbow. The gauze covered deep drivesuit scarring that would leave a wicked design on her arms. The younger Hansen managed to reroute most of the feedback from Lucky’s ripped off arms into her drivesuit instead of her father’s. Herc was livid. 

The six pilots all headed to the barracks wing of the rebuilt Fort Santiago that Hundun destroyed in 2014. The Philippines allowed the PPDC to purchase the ruined historical landmark and use the foundations of the colonial fort to build a satellite facility that served to house PPDC personnel as they traveled to and from the Sydney, Hong Kong, and Tokyo Shatterdomes. 

Po and Hin Shen peeled off from the group and entered their designated room. The Beckets and Hansens however, headed down the hallway towards the common area and kitchenette. Charlotte was serious about needing two fingers of whiskey after the fight. 

Yancy fidgeted as they walked, obviously itching to talk to the younger Hansen, but simultaneously terrified of her father. Raleigh, though, wrapped an arm around his best friend in the Med-Bay as soon as the nurses finished bandaging her up and hadn’t let go since. He steered Charlotte towards the couches and Herc gestured for Yancy to follow him into the kitchenette to search for whiskey. 

“You keep twitching like that, boy, and I’ll be smacking you in the face myself.” Herc droned. 

Yancy jumped at the sound of the older Ranger’s gravelly voice. “Sorry, sir. Just, nervous I guess. You’re a legend.” 

“Don’t lie to me, mate. You’re walking on clouds. It’s your fourth kill. Nah. What you’re nervous about is that you haven’t talked to my daughter in over a month and you think you’ve ruined any shot you ever had with her.”

The American pilot blushed. “Um. Shit. Yeah. Maybe? I’ve been a total prick the last few months and I deserve whatever she dishes out, but I miss her. Even if she shoots me down, I need her in my life. She’s the only one who gets it.”

Herc turned from his perusal of one of the cabinets and caught Yancy Becket, cocky Jaeger pilot extraordinaire, eyeing his daughter wistfully. Stacker liked to say the Becket Boys were the best picks from a bunch of unlikely soldiers. They didn’t follow orders unless they wanted to, played fast and loose with their objectives, and yet still managed to come out on top. Raleigh had a reputation as the adorable little brother, hiding his sharp intellect and iron will. Yancy was the playboy, never turning down a Jaeger fly, but loyal to a fault and a damned good fighter. They were arguably the best pilot team in the corps. Of course none of that mattered as the one with the less-than-savory reputation stared at his daughter like she was the answer to his prayers. The Australian suppressed a huff of annoyance and remembered when he used to look at his wife like that after a fight or returning from a deployment. He couldn’t stop his little girl from doing anything, hadn’t tried since her enrolment in the academy. But he could still threaten a potential suitor. 

“Don’t go all starry-eyed over there, mate.” Herc finally said. “She’s been twice-burned in the last month. Your little fight put her in Ian Staughton’s bed and he took advantage of her distraction. Bastard was only sleeping with her to earn himself a spot in Striker Eureka. I’m retiring; higher-ups want me to be Deputy-Marshal. That Pommy bastard’s drift compatible with my son and he hoped that if he emotionally compromised Charlie, then she’d be too fucked up to maintain a drift with Chuck and the brass would pick him as a pilot. She found out and I had to lock her in a closet to keep her from killing the bloke. Marshal had him reassigned to the Secretary-General’s office and permanently stripped of the possibility to become a Jaeger pilot. And truthfully, son, you’re lucky I didn’t lay you out the moment I saw you in the Med-Bay. What you said and did to your brother was unacceptable, let alone how it affected my daughter.

“However, I am nothing if not forgiving when it comes to kids with emotional issues. Christ knows I’ve ruined Charlie and her brother since Angela died. So I’m giving you one chance to fix this, son. I’ll force your brother into your bunk and go for a walkabout myself, yeah. Talk to her, not at her. She’s mad as a cut snake, no doubt. But the drift doesn’t lie. She misses you too.”

Herc deposited a bottle of Glenfiddich Private Vintage into the younger Ranger’s hands along with two tumblers. Yancy didn’t even remember seeing the older man gather any of it. And fuck, this was expensive whiskey. Still looking at the bottle, Yancy missed the Aussie leaving the kitchenette and insisting that Raleigh get some sleep because bruised ribs were nothing to scoff at. 

Charlotte glared at her father, and glared harder when she glanced over her shoulder to see Yancy watching her nervously from the kitchenette. Her father just sent smug satisfaction her way through the ghost drift and a brief image of the rubbers stashed in the pocket of his duffel bag as he smiled and left the room. 

Yancy carefully approached her, placing the tumblers and whiskey on the low coffee table and taking the chair opposite the prickly ginger woman. He poured them each three fingers and pushed a glass towards her. 

“So, dad was a fan of expensive whiskey. Whenever we travelled, which was a lot til mom got sick, we always had to find the most expensive bottle of whiskey my parents could afford and bring two home. One for drinking and one for when Raleigh, Jazz, and I were all old enough to enjoy them. This,” Yancy gestured at the bottle with his glass. “Is a bottle of Glenfiddich Private Vintage. It is thirty years old and when I was a kid, dad bought a bottle for three thousand bucks. Whoever left this here really loves us Rangers.”

Charlotte didn’t respond, resolutely studying Yancy’s face and sipping what she had to admit was ridiculously good scotch-whiskey. The man across from her looked haunted. Not the stressed out, bags-under-the-eyes, angry Yancy she’d unfortunately gotten used to over the past year, but a broken man just barely putting himself back together. _‘Good,’_ she thought, _‘serves him right.’_ Apparently nearly losing his brother because of stupid shit scared the elder Becket boy enough to right himself. If the drop today was anything to go by, then Gipsy was back to being the best piloted Jaeger in the Corps. Even Charlotte could recognize that the Becket boys were better pilots than she and her father. 

“I fucked up.” Yancy finally said, pouring himself another glass after several minutes of silence. Charlotte cocked an eyebrow as if she thought Yancy expected her to disagree with him. “I’ve been fucking up. For months. And I didn’t see it until I finally crossed a line and nearly lost Raleigh.” Charlotte pursed her lips. “I nearly lost my brother, the one bit of family I have left in the world, over my complete inability to be a fucking grownup. I am a cocky, narcissistic bastard with massive emotional issues and it made us vulnerable. You were right the day you talked to Raleigh, if it hadn’t been a test, one or both of us would probably be dead right now.”

Charlotte scoffed. Raleigh told her in the single phone call she’d gotten last week that Yancy heard every word she said that day. She wasn’t particularly pleased about that, but it meant a lot of things didn’t have to be repeated now. 

Yancy caught her eye. “I also betrayed you. Betrayed your trust.” The younger pilot remained stubbornly silent. 

“The day you left LA to go back to Sydney, you made me promise that I’d always talk to you about the important things. I lied to you. And then I went on lying to you, and digging this hole as I went, with all the other things I was lying to Raleigh and myself about. Seeing Ian in your room, and assuming you slept with him, was the last straw. Everything I’d been pushing aside hit me over the head and I was wholly unprepared. I knew going after Naomi would fuck things up with Raleigh and that he’d run to you, like he always does, and that it would hurt you too. I obviously did not think it through.”

He barely caught Charlotte’s muttered, “No, shit.” 

“I’m sorry I scared you. I can’t say I won’t do it again in the future, because we have the most dangerous job in the world. But I’m renewing the promise I made to you over a year ago, and this time I actually mean it. You are the single most important person in my life, Lotte. Raleigh is my brother, and now that we’ve fixed ourselves, I’m never taking him for granted again. But you…fuck, you waltzed into my life and never looked back. No one has cared about me as much as you do since my mother died. Having you as my friend, as my partner really, has been the one thing I could count on other than my brother in a long time. The last month has sucked. I missed you every single day and I knew that I had no right to even look at you. I royally fucked things up and I’m sorry. I’m also sorry that I’ve still been too chickenshit to call you since I figured all this out.”

“You’re a right fucking bastard, you know that?” Charlotte finally spoke, voice gravelly with exhaustion and the burn of whiskey. 

“I’ve been told.” Yancy smiled wanly. 

“Good. So long as we’re clear.”

They sat in silence for a few moments longer. 

“Three thousand dollars a bottle, eh?” Charlotte finally broke the silence. 

“Yeah. Course that was ten years ago, with all the rationing it’s probably at least five times that much now.” 

“Hell of a bottle to pop for day-drinking.” 

“Shit it isn’t even noon is it?”

“Not quite.” Charlotte downed the rest of her whiskey and gestured for Yancy to pour her another. She would need it if this inane prattle continued. “Much too early to talk about serious shit. Course neither of us were ever much for following the rules of engagement.”

Yancy chuckled. She was actually speaking to him instead of hitting him. There was hope. “Why fight fair when you can fight dirty and win?”

“Precisely, mate.” Charlotte slung back half her whiskey, enjoying the smooth burn and earthy flavors on her tongue. She sipped the rest of her glass and watched Yancy settle into his chair, enjoying the silence. 

“Apology accepted, by the way.” She said, mostly into her glass as she took another sip. Yancy perked up like he was going to speak, but she raised a hand to silence him. “Oh, you’re not even close to forgiveness yet there, mate. Don’t get excited. Just sayin’ apology accepted is all. You realize that the day you two looked at me and said, ‘yeah we’ll keep her,’ was the first good day I’d had since my mum died?” 

Yancy shook his head, again looking like he wanted to speak. “Shut it, Yance. Neither of us has a monopoly on shitty back stories and even shittier younger siblings, eh. No, that first day at the Academy, when everyone was watching me and talking behind my back, you two stood next to me and acted like I was just like the other recruits. You didn’t give a shit who my father and uncle were or that I was a vicious little bitch who hadn’t heard a kind word from anyone but Lucky’s J-Techs in two years. I needed you both. Raleigh is my best friend. I’d never had one of those before. You, though—you were something else entirely. I knew that you were what I could be. You’d lost your mum, too. But you kept Raleigh from sinking and still managed to keep yourself halfway together most of the time. I wasn’t there yet, still ain’t most days. Then I got to know you and realized that you really weren’t all put together like you wanted everyone to think and I knew that being fucked up was alright too. If you could get through it then I sure as hell could. 

“And well, I was a fifteen-year-old girl, I developed a crush. But you were my friend first and I was just the bratty little Hansen you adopted, so I let it go. I thought about it you know. When I realized that you had feelings for me and that I was punishing you for them. It was that LA trip. It was the first time you hadn’t teased me about the guy I was dating. Then you got so mad when I flirted with the waiter. After I dumped Thomas, I purposefully went through every blond, blue eyed Jaeger fly I could find. Didn’t grasp it of course. You’re not the only one with emotional issues. But then this whole shitfest with Ian happened and Herc pointed out to me that you were jealous. I hadn’t even slept with the bloke yet, but you didn’t know that. You were right about him, by the way. He was a shithead.”

“So we’re both idiots is what you’re saying?”

“We’ve both definitely got a case of DADS disease.”

“I’m glad I’ve known you for years or that would’ve made zero sense.”

“Do not mock the proud language of my home, Yancy Becket. I _will_ light into you about your obsession with that dumb as shit ice game.”

“How dare you insult the majestic sport that is hockey!” Yancy laughed. “Seriously though, I know I’m not forgiven and I’ve got loads of groveling to do, Lotte. But will we really be okay?”

“Yeah, Yance we’ll be fine.” She stood up from the sofa, her whole body feeling like a massive bruise. “Now come on, I need a nap and I know you don’t want to listen to Rals snoring. You can kip in Herc’s bunk.”

A little buzzed from the liquor and the minimal pain meds the docs insisted she take, Charlotte stumbled. Yancy caught her and she leaned into him for a moment before pulling away and heading back down the hall to the room she’d been assigned. She keyed the entry code for the door and opened it to find bunk beds instead of the two twins separated by a nightstand she was used to seeing in a PPDC bunk in the Hong Kong and Sydney domes. Fuck, she couldn’t climb up with her arms like they were, not without making them bleed. Yancy registered this fact almost as quickly. 

“Come on, I’ll help you get comfy and then I’ll go deal with Rals’ snoring.”

Charlotte must have sent her frustration and an image of the beds along the ghost drift, cause Herc responded with the distinct feeling of laughter and an image of he and Angela curled up together, cuddling. The younger Hansen had gotten much better over the past several months seeing her mother through her father’s memories, but seeing how happy they’d been reminded her of how broken their family was now. Angela Hansen would have killed her daughter if she could see her now, uncertain and scared. She fled into the bathroom to wash her face of the last of the relay gel from the drivesuit and brush her teeth and hair. Returning to the main room, she found Yancy wandering around, moving things closer to the bed. 

“No.” She finally piped up as Yancy moved around collecting blankets and pillows for her. 

“What, too many blankets?”

“No. You’re not leaving.” Charlotte glanced up, cheeks flushed with a bit of embarrassment and found Yancy looking at her, wide-eyed. 

“Um.”

“Nope. Don’t question it.” She bent to loosen the laces of her boots and toed them off next to the bunk beds. “Just go grab the extra toothbrush and brush your teeth. I am not waking up to your whiskey breath.” 

Charlotte pushed past him and flopped onto the lower bunk up against the wall. She nestled into the blankets and pillows as she listened to Yancy brushing his teeth. When he left the bathroom, she could feel him staring at her before she felt the sheets lift and Yancy’s big warm body spooning around her. She turned in his arms and pressed her forehead to his chest. He wrapped his arms around her and hugged her tight. Charlotte fell asleep a few moments later and Yancy followed soon after. 

Several hours later, when Herc returned, he found them tangled up together and couldn’t fight the small smile that twitched his lips. His little girl was going to be okay. Course, he still felt the need to pummel the man curled around her into the ground, but being in his kid’s head for several months meant he knew that Charlotte could handle that herself. A soft knock echoed on the door and Herc opened it to find Raleigh carrying two duffle bags. 

“Got word they’re shipping us back to the Icebox. Jumphawks leave in ten.” 

“Right, you wanna wake ‘em or should I?” Herc stepped aside and gestured at the bunk beds across the room where Yancy and Charlotte were still sleeping. 

Raleigh smiled sadly. “I don’t want to leave at all. But I think the Marshal is still pissed at us enough to actually come down here and drag us out himself if we delay.” 

“He is.” Herc stated, refusing to elaborate how he knew that when Raleigh shot him a confused glance. The Aussie crossed the room and gently shoved Yancy’s shoulder. 

“Huh?” The elder Becket grunted. 

“Time to go, mate. Jumphawks leave in ten.”

Charlotte rolled over, waking up herself now that Yancy was moving. Herc was already packing up the small amount of their stuff that the nurses pulled out of their bags for them hours ago. Raleigh handed a sleep-ruffled Yancy his bag and Herc shot a quick glance over at his daughter. He shrugged a shoulder and twitched his head in a ‘follow them’ gesture. She quickly pulled her hair into its customary bun, several curls escaping it, and followed the Becket brothers out to the Jumphawks. Gipsy was already strapped up and being lifted away at the landing zone across the river, silhouetted by the sunset. Charlotte watched the Mark III hover over Manila’s skyline before the choppers turned, heading out to the PPDC Cruiser that would ship the Jaeger back to the Icebox. The ships the PPDC used would have the Jaeger and her pilots in Hawaii in a matter of hours. 

Raleigh and Yancy both tossed their bags onto the waiting Jumphawk and turned back to her. The younger Becket ran over and scooped the woman into a hug, twirling her around. He deposited her back on the ground, still hugging her and dropped his face to her shoulder. 

“Gonna miss you, Little Lotte.”

“I always miss you, Little Becket.” 

“You and Yance are gonna be friends again right?”

“Looks that way. He’s got a lot of groveling to do, still.”

“Make him work for it.”

“I will.” 

Raleigh leaned back and pecked her on the cheek, earning himself a swat on the chest. He hugged Charlotte close one more time and then stepped away. He clapped a hand on Yancy’s shoulder and whispered, “make it good,” before hopping into the Jumphawk and strapping in. 

Charlotte and Yancy stared at each other for a moment. Yancy finally stepped forward and, instead of hugging her, tugged on one of the curls the chop wash from the Jumphawk had dancing around her head. Charlotte cocked an eyebrow and tilted her head away from his hand, looking him in the eye. 

“I’m sorry.”

“You said that already, mate.”

“Gonna keep saying it til you forget how much of a dickhead I was.”

“You’re still a dickhead, Yance. You’re just aware of it now.”

“I promise to talk to you about the important stuff, and the boring stuff, and everything in between from now on.”

“I believe you.” 

Yancy reached up and traced her cheekbone with his thumb. “Gonna miss you.”

“I’ll miss you, too.” Charlotte grasped his wrist and pulled his hand away from her face to lace their fingers together. She pulled him in close and touched their foreheads together. “You still owe me a lot of groveling, Becket boy.”

“I think I’d be perfectly happy spending the rest of my life making this up to you.” Yancy said, staring into Charlotte’s eyes. He didn’t miss her gaze darting down to his lips and valiantly fought the urge to smile. 

“You got an idea where you can start?”

He didn’t answer her, just leaned in to brush his lips against hers. Both of them had chapped lips, the relay gel from the drivesuits was hell on the skin. But Charlotte gasped just the same and Yancy took that as an invitation to place his hands on her hips and pull her in close. He didn’t kiss her again immediately, tracing circles on her hips with his thumbs, content to memorize the feeling of her instead. Then he tilted his head a fraction and kissed her properly. She opened up instantly and the kiss turned filthy within seconds. Charlotte’s hands wound themselves into Yancy’s hair and tugged when his own hands began wandering a bit. 

The sound of a throat clearing very loudly behind Charlotte broke them apart. Hercules Hansen, in full disapproving dad mode, stood two feet away looking very much like he wanted to wallop the man kissing his daughter. Charlotte laughed at the sight and then pulled Yancy in for a chaste kiss. She pushed him away towards the Jumphawk where Raleigh was strapped in and grinning like a loon at the two of them, camera in his lap. The Jumphawk crew was dutifully ignoring the Rangers’ antics. Yancy walked backwards, a dopey smile on his face, and only turned when he climbed up into the chopper. Charlotte backed away, buffeted by the chop wash to stand next to her father. 

Herc was still glaring at Yancy, but the gaze softened a bit when Charlotte’s completely giddy mood invaded the ghost drift. Looking at her face, she appeared to be completely impassive, but underneath she was strumming with unrestrained glee. Yancy waved at them as the chopper lifted off, heading for the bay where the PPDC cruiser waited with Gipsy.

Once they saw the chopper land on the deck of the ship, Herc gently guided Charlotte back into the building and headed for the mess. He planted his daughter at a corner table and then left her to grab food. Charlotte’s phone dinged from her pocket and she pulled it out to see several texts and pictures from both Beckets. Herc returned, with two trays laden down with food, to find her, chin propped up on her arms, watching a video on the holo-screen of the American Rangers climbing up Gipsy’s legs on the cruiser. Herc, now feeling the melancholy set in across the ghost drift, took the phone away and replaced it with a tray of food. The arrival of Horizon Brave’s pilots a few minutes later distracted the younger Hansen sufficiently for the sadness to be replaced with the general feeling Herc recognized as her puzzle solving mode. 

Both Horizon Brave and Lucky Seven were heavily damaged in the fight and if Gipsy, as a faster Jaeger, hadn’t been there, it was incredibly likely that the Kaiju would have killed both sets of pilots. As it was, Horizon Brave could be repaired, Charlotte and Po were already huddled together messaging the Jaeger’s chief J-Tech in Hong Kong with ideas. Lucky Seven was officially out for the count. The beating the T-90 took would have destroyed any other Mark I. Djalu Watson, Charlotte’s replacement as Lucky’s chief J-Tech and long-time friend of the Hansen family, had helped the Ranger continue her extensive modifications to the Jaeger. The carbon fiber and titanium armor plating absorbed most of the Kaiju’s punishing blows, but with Striker Eureka officially in service, and the damage done, there was no need to repair Lucky Seven. Watson already messaged Herc with the news that Lucky’s crew were being packed up and sent to the Sydney dome. After a year splitting time between the Hong Kong and Sydney domes, Herc was glad for the news, even if Stacker couldn’t formally announce that his kids would be piloting the new Mark V. 

At Charlotte’s insistence, and after a very heated argument, three-months prior, Herc submitted the paperwork necessary for Stacker to transition him into the PPDC’s administrative branch. The Marshal had already informed him that as soon as the requisite drift trials were completed and Charlotte chosen as Chuck’s copilot, Herc would be promoted to Deputy Marshal and take over command of the Sydney Shatterdome from Commander Wilson, a former American Army Colonel. Herc wasn’t all that thrilled with the idea he’d have to send his children out to fight monsters without him, but they’d both yelled at him, at length, until he’d relented.

With his kids in the conn-pod, Herc knew that Striker Eureka would mow Kaiju down. 

He just wished he could be in the Jaeger with them to help them do it. 

For Angela. For the family the alien bastards had destroyed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 1--Inspiration: Pavise by GuthrieArtwork on Deviantart.com
> 
> http://guthrieartwork.deviantart.com/art/Pavise-408911746
> 
> 2--Inspiration: Kaiju Alert by EdwardDelandreArt on Deviantart.com
> 
> http://edwarddelandreart.deviantart.com/art/Kaiju-Alert-386122023


	10. It's Been A Long Time Comin, And the Table's Turned Round

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Originally posted 22 May 2017. Fully edited and Beta'd by 24 December 2017. 
> 
> Herc's office is the war room. Meetings are held. Hannibal Chau is back. Side characters appear _with dialogue!_ Sassy Russian ladies abound. Raleigh and Chuck figure some shit out. Mako is a troll. 
> 
> Translations and Artwork Inspiration at the end

\-----March 16, 2025-----

**1300 HRS, Room 30, Non-isolation ward, Med-Bay, Hong Kong Shatterdome**

Chuck glared at the doctor. The man was taking forever to finish signing his discharge paper work. Three months in medical left the normally prickly Australian a hair trigger away from a full meltdown. Cabin fever set in early with him and it was only the presence of Mako and Raleigh and the constant visits from Striker’s techs, the Kaidonovskys, and his family that kept him sane. Hell even the ever frustrating Doctors Geiszler and Gottlieb dropped in and provided entertainment a few times. But the boredom had still eaten at the twenty-one-year-old pilot. 

Raleigh, though brain-damaged and suffering far more extensive scarring from piloting solo a second time, had been released three hours ago. He’d abandoned Chuck, the wanker, with the excuse that Mako needed him for something and he’d be back to collect him later. Well, it was fucking later and this doctor was taking a goddamned eternity to finish the three sheets of paper that would allow Chuck to leave. Lucy, who wandered into the hospital room an hour ago, sans her owner, sat at Chuck’s feet with Max. Both dogs were watching the doctor with curiosity, as if they too knew he was keeping their Chuck waiting unnecessarily. 

All five physical therapists signed off on the Aussie pilot’s progress. Three other doctors pronounced his scarring and bones fully healed and given him the all-clear to climb back into a Jaeger without fear of aggravating the injuries. Shit, even his long-suffering psychiatrist decided he was coping well enough to agree to twice-monthly appointments. 

He was tired of sleeping in hospital beds. He wanted out. Just as he opened his mouth to light into the unsuspecting doctor, movement caught his eye in the doorway. 

Raleigh Becket was leaning against the doorframe wearing that stupid lumpy blue PPDC issue sweater and cargo pants. His tan combat boots weren’t entirely laced up so he looked put-together, but rumpled all at the same time. Much like the man himself. Chuck glared at him then mimed strangling the doctor, who was hunched over his clipboard and couldn’t see his patient. Raleigh snorted and managed to plant his most charming smile on his face as the tiny little man looked up. 

“Oh. Ranger Becket, may I help you?”

“Here to collect Ranger Hansen, doc. The Marshal seemed to think he should have been discharged already.” That million-watt smile disarmed the doctor to the veiled threat of an angry Herc Hansen marching down to medical. Raleigh smiling had that effect on people. Chuck had to turn away from that smile and plant his most innocent face on as the doctor glanced at him and harrumphed. 

“The Marshal is not a doctor.”

“No, but he does need Ranger Hansen to report back to duty ASAP. We’ve been told to report to the Marshal immediately.”

The little man harrumphed again and looked over the paperwork one more time. Raleigh turned off the smile and gave Chuck an exasperated look. Chuck shrugged and glared at the doctor again. Finally, the man signed the paperwork and told the Ranger that he was free to leave. 

Chuck leapt from his seat and pushed Raleigh out the door. He practically ran to the lift, both dogs on his tail, while Raleigh chuckled and kept pace. Once they were safely ensconced in the elevator and headed for Herc’s office, Chuck sighed and leaned back against the railings. 

“Fuck. That asshat kept me waiting for two hours before he showed up and then spent an hour filling that fucking paperwork out, mate. Thanks for the rescue.”

This time when Raleigh smiled, it wasn’t his million-watt press-ready smile, but a gentle grin that crinkled the edges of his eyes and took all the years since Knifehead off his face. “No problem, Chuckles.”

“Do _NOT_ call me that.”

Raleigh’s grin became evil quickly. Two nights previous, after Tendo snuck in some of the Kaidonovskys’ vodka, Chuck let slip that some of the older recruits at the Academy nicknamed him Chuckles in a vain attempt to make the teenager crumble. All it had done was earn them a lot of bruising in the Kwoon. Raleigh, though, took to using the name as a quick way to rile up his new friend. No matter that the two were friends now, they still used any and every opportunity to drive each other into a fit. They tended to settle their disputes with playful jabs to the stomach and quick slaps across the back of the head now, instead of the knockdown drag-out fighting they’d done before Pitfall.

“What are you gonna do to stop me?”

Chuck faltered for a second at that. The heat in Raleigh’s eyes didn’t look playful at all. No, that was a look that set Chuck’s stomach to fluttering and he reined in his immediate need to wipe that smirk off Raleigh’s face in a number of delightfully wicked ways. Regaining his composure, Chuck sauntered across the lift and boxed the elder ranger into the corner. He leaned in and flicked the American’s chest, just like before that fight outside Pentecost’s office.

“Won’t have to do a thing, mate. I’ll just let slip to Charlie that it was you who snuck into LOCCENT last week and programmed _Phantom of the Opera_ to play randomly.”

Raleigh blanched. “You wouldn’t.” 

“Oh, but I would.” Chuck grinned, stepping back a bit as the lift doors opened. Lucy and Max, still used to their owners moving a bit slowly, blocked the doors as neither pilot moved. 

Raleigh extended his hand after a moment. “Truce?”

Chuck happily grabbed hold of the hand and squeezed, hard. “Truce.”

Raleigh hauled him in close, staring deeply into the younger man’s eyes. “I’m warning you, Chuck. You breathe a word of that prank and I will own your ass.”

Chuck couldn’t stop the words that popped out of his mouth next, despite the mortification they brought with them. “Is that a promise, mate.”

The older pilot flinched back and released him. Chuck blushed and turned to leave the elevator, Raleigh a step behind him. Before the ginger could knock on his father’s door, though, Raleigh stepped in close to whisper in his ear. 

“It is a promise, but I’m not sure you could handle it.” 

Raleigh shoved a shocked Chuck aside and strode right into the Marshal’s office without knocking. The sight of Djalu Watson sitting across the table from his father prompted Chuck to clear his dumbfounded expression and enter the room. Raleigh was already taking a seat across the table next to Mako and the stocky aboriginal man was gesturing for Chuck to sit between him and Charlotte. Lucy and Max waddled in and planted themselves underneath the conference table. Chuck collapsed in the chair Djalu indicated, realizing he was now directly across from Raleigh. 

The waving hands of Dr. Newton Geiszler and stoic expression of Dr. Hermann Gottlieb drew his attention to the far left hand side of the conference table. “Call me Newt” was waving his hands around distracting the very, very pregnant Dr. Vanessa Gottlieb while Hermann unashamedly rubbed his wife’s ankles. Tendo and Alison Choi were on the other side of Djalu, trading their toddler back and forth as he chewed on what looked like a Gipsy Danger teething ring. 

A quick glance to the other end of the table revealed a very uncomfortable looking Hannibal Chau, the Kaidonovskys, and the chief J-Techs from Crimson and Cherno. This was a gathering of all the remaining ranking members of the PPDC. Herc grinned at his son sympathetically as the screens on the wall behind him flickered to life and revealed the faces of Commander Quan, former Deputy Marshal Li Xiu Yang, and the Gage twins. 

Chuck swiveled around to face the screens. Bruce and Trevin Gage woke from the coma they’d been in since the attack on Seattle in 2023 that destroyed Romeo Blue, with atrophied muscles and extensive brain damage. Even though it was eight months before Pentecost’s last stand with Pitfall, neither had been capable of piloting. They had, however, taken over control of Oblivion Bay and helped Mako and Tendo finish the restoration on Gipsy Danger. Four more screens lit up as Chuck studied the twins and he realized he only knew one of the people now looking out over his father’s office. 

“Tatiana!” Chuck smiled brightly. 

“Charles!” Ambassador “Please call me Tatiana, darling” Grigorovich responded with equal fervor. Chuck did not miss his sister rolling her eyes at their exchange. Neither did Tatiana. “Charlotte Hansen, I expect better of you, _moya devushka_. (1)” 

“ _Niet, ne nado_ , Tatiana. Don’t lie to yourself. (2)”

Herc stopped Tatiana from responding with a raised hand. 

“If you three are done, then we have business to attend to.” The Marshal surveyed the room and all the faces on the screen. “Good. We’re all here because we have finally entered the end stages of Stacker’s last mission. As of today, we have signed new treaties and contracts with fourteen countries that will allow us to reopen all of the Shatterdomes and build seven new ones. Thanks to Mr. Brecker and Dr. Gottlieb Sr. here, we also have access to the necessary technology to market limited Jaeger tech to the public. Dr. Lightcap is also en route to rejoin the Science division here in Hong Kong. Ambassador Grigorovich will also be heading up a private consortium which will allow the PPDC to function, fully-funded, independently of the UN. Congratulations, everyone. When we travel to New York for the General Assembly in a month we can successfully split with those bastards.”

“Here, here!” Hermann Gottlieb pounded on the table as everyone smiled and clapped a bit. 

Hannibal Chau leaned forward from his corner of the table. “Doesn’t explain what I’m doing here.”

Herc glanced at his daughter and the Vice-Marshal stared the crime boss down coolly. “You’re here because you still have access to all the best Kaiju pieces. Don’t act like you didn’t have boats in the water over the Breach two hours after we evacuated our pilots. I was watching for you, Chau. We intend to continue Marshal Pentecost’s agreement with you, with some minor changes. First, you give us first go at all your prime stock as well as a five percent cut of your profits. Second, we officially hire you, and anyone you deem necessary, as independent contractors with the PPDC. Which will essentially give all your people diplomatic immunity in any country we operate in. Third, you provide us with information and protection when we need it.”

“Two percent.” Chau countered immediately. 

“Four and a half.”

“Two and a half.”

“Three.”

The large New Yorker and the Vice-Marshal glared at each other, though you couldn’t tell with Chau’s glasses on, for several long moments. Raleigh caught Chuck’s eye, and they both, along with Mako, glared at the crime boss. The sight of four angry Rangers seemed to break Chau’s resolve slightly and he huffed. 

“I can live with three. We’ll discuss the particulars later. Shortstack, come with me, I’ve got bits of that Category V you’ll want to see. Sasha. Aleksis.” Chau dipped his head goodbye towards the Russians.

The giant man gracefully stood up and allowed the frenetic Newt to lead him from the room as they argued over Slattern’s parts. Herc grinned and looked pointedly at Hermann who sighed, kissed his wife’s cheek, and followed the two out of the room. The other Doctors Gottlieb both chuckled at Hermann’s muttering. 

“Good. What’s the next bit, Charlie?” Herc asked his daughter. 

“Restoration program.”

“Right. Bruce, Trevin, how do things look at the Bay? Anything worth saving?”

Bruce piped up first. Raleigh flinched, realizing that it wasn’t his long years of knowing the twins that meant he could tell them apart now, but the long scar that wrapped around the left side of Bruce’s face. 

“All the Mark III’s are in decent shape. But Chrome, Matador, and Vulcan are probably the best candidates. Hydra, Nova, and Echo are the best bets for the Mark IVs. Especially if you have the salvaged parts from Indra and Crimson to help things along.”

“Give us a couple months to finish our assessments and we can guarantee you at least those six for the restoration program, Marshal.” Trevin finished. 

“That is more than we expected.” Mako said, a furrow in her forehead as she contemplated the possibilities. She looked down the table to Tendo and Alison, her co-chiefs of the restoration program. “Could we have all six ready by next year?”

Alison smiled. “Yeah. No problem. All my old Techs from the Icebox are calling in asking how they can help. And we’ve got four crews here with nothing to do. If we can get the Jaegers from the Bay, my people can have them running.”

“And I’ve already got the mods from Gipsy programmed into LOCCENT. Should be fairly easy to upgrade all the operating systems once we get their new cores installed.” Tendo added, playing with his suspenders. 

“We’ve salvaged enough bits from Striker to give us a head start too. My guys are cataloguing everything that washes up as we speak.” Djalu added. “We’ve almost finished pulling Cherno from the bay too. Crimson is going to a memorial though. I’m not letting anyone near her. The boys deserve better than that.”

Mako nodded and turned to face the twins again. “How long do you need?”

The twins shared a look. “Give us til the end of June to get the rust buckets cleaned up for transport.” Trevin finally said. 

“End of June it is, you’re dismissed Rangers. Thank you.” Herc took over again. The screen reading Oblivion Bay at the bottom clicked off. “Charlotte?”

“Mark VI and VII Jaegers.” The Vice-Marshal responded, ticking boxes off a list as the J-Techs left the room along with Vanessa Gottlieb.

“Bonzer. Mr. Brecker, Dr. Gottlieb, do you have the preliminary specifications that Miss Mori and Vanessa have forwarded to you?”

“I do.” Both CEOs answered. 

“When do you think we can begin production of the updated PONS system?”

Dr. Gottlieb spoke first. “After conferring with Mr. Brecker and my head of research, I believe that we can begin production within the month. So long as Dr. Lightcap is available and your Rangers are not opposed to assisting us with testing.”

Mako squeezed Raleigh’s hand under the table and Chuck felt his sister tense. Herc studied the four of them, and the impassive Russians, before answering. “As long as your people are respectful I don’t see why that would be a problem.”

“My people are professionals, Marshal Hansen. And most of them have lost family in this war.” Wilhelm Brecker interjected, his thick Bavarian accent coloring his words. “Your Rangers will receive the best treatment possible. I swear.”

“That’s settled then. We’ll get in contact with you as soon as Dr. Lightcap arrives, gents.” Both men nodded and their screens went dark. “Mako, Charlotte, how about actual construction?”

“We’ve already started on one of the Mark VI Jaegers, designation Yarilo Victor. If Tendo and Mako can keep pace with the restorations, then we’ll start on the other one in May. Won’t be able to begin the Mark VII til later in the year, though.” Mako and Tendo both nodded in agreement as Charlotte spoke. 

“You named it Yarilo, Lotte?” Aleksis Kaidonovsky interrupted. The big man actually looked sheepish.

“Seemed appropriate.” The Vice-Marshal blushed. 

“Is very appropriate, Lotte. We approve.” Sasha said, as her husband looked overcome. “Yarilo is old Russian god of rebirth.” She explained to the room. “Is good name for Jaeger. (3) ”

“Oi, what will the other two be called then?” Chuck asked, sensing his sister’s need for the conversation to change. 

“Oh. Um, well the other Mark VI is Cobalt Endeavor. (4) ” Charlotte stammered. 

“Endeavor, huh? I like it.” 

“Good. It’ll be ours.”

“Ace.” Chuck grinned. 

Raleigh rolled his eyes. “What about the VII?” He asked. 

“I thought Daimyo Aurora would be acceptable. (5) ” Mako answered. 

Raleigh rolled the name around his head. He liked it. Nothing would ever replace Gipsy, but if Mako had her hands on a Mark VII, then he knew he’d love it. “Sounds perfect.”

Mako grinned at her copilot. “I am glad.”

“Right, so that’s new Jaegers off the list. Alison, Tendo, Vanessa, Djalu you know what to do, so you can go.” Herc waited for the them to leave the room before directing his attention to the screens where Ambassador Grigorovich was now sipping on a large tumbler of what was probably vodka. “Tatiana, you can speak freely now.”

“Wonderful!” She exclaimed. “The Committee should not be a problem next month. Ambassador Cole and Ambassador Taylor, on the other hand, will be. Mr. Staughton has them so deep into his little web of corruption, they’re terrified of what will come to light should the PPDC gain its independence from the UN. My President has received copies of all our documentation, as have the Australian and Chinese Presidents. The US President will be hand delivered a copy two days before the General Assembly. I have the remaining Ambassadors prepared to disavow Staughton when the time arises. They do not appreciate the way that man has wormed his way into Cole and Taylor’s pockets, as you say.

“You all must be prepared for personal attacks. Ian Staughton has proved to each of you on more than one occasion what kind of deceitful viper he can be. That we all know him is good, though. We can prepare. I will handle him from the diplomatic end. Mr. Chau can handle his criminal contacts. This group must prepare for everything else. He will be vicious. Charlotte, you must protect Stella from her father. He may try to take her from you.”

“I’d like to see him try.” Raleigh growled. 

“He’s tried before.” Charlotte whispered. Both Herc and Chuck were red-faced and livid with the memories. Raleigh stared at her then looked down at his copilot who was seething with so much rage that it crossed the ghost drift and made him nauseous. 

“He has never succeeded, _moy sladkiy._ (6)” Tatiana interrupted. “He never will. But you must prepare her, nonetheless.”

“I will.”

“Good. Hercules, I will make the house ready. Proschchay, _moi dorogiye!_ (7)”

Tatiana’s screen went dark. Herc took a moment to calm himself. Trust the flighty Russian bird to rile him up. She brought out the worst in him, but he had to admit she was the best ally they had against the UN. Especially since she’d been the one to approach Stacker with the information he needed to start this in the first place. It was her fortune that purchased the Icebox, Vladivostok, and Oblivion Bay and her single-minded obsession that kept the UN from sending peacekeepers in to force Stacker to shut down the Hong Kong dome instead of keeping his funding going for eight months. 

It was Tatiana who’d lost her only child in the first Kaiju attack on Cabo. She’d pushed her husband out of retirement and gotten him to demand a position with the Pacific Defense Committee so that they could ensure that no one else would lose their children to the monsters. When Ivan died, Tatiana not so gently reminded the Russian President of how many secrets she carried and gotten herself appointed as her husband’s replacement. Since that moment, she’d been in constant contact with Stacker, Herc, and Charlotte, helping them circumvent all of the political bullshit and keep the Jaeger program running. 

Xiu Yang’s voice, still as light but commanding as ever, broke the tension in Herc’s office. “Marshal. You have not explained why Mr. Quan and myself were called today.”

Herc cleared his throat. “No. I haven’t. I needed to discuss some particulars with one of my Rangers first.” His eyes flicked to Raleigh. “I’d like the two of you to return to the PPDC as teachers in the Jaeger Academy. The Chinese have allowed us to purchase an island in Victoria Harbour, Beijian Dao. The Kodiak facilities are a right mess and it’s easier to just build new. Beijian Dao is isolated and we’d have complete run of the place. Construction is already started, so we will be ready for the first class by July.”

“And who would be in charge of the new Academy, Marshal?” Commander Quan’s no-nonsense tone asked. 

“Ranger Becket and Ranger Hansen would be the co-Commanders of the new Academy. Charlotte and Mako will also contribute as teachers, but we need people who can devote their focus entirely to the recruits. Raleigh and Chuck can do that. So can you. Xiu Yang, you know the tech inside out. Quan, you were the best Fightmaster the Academy ever had. You can’t tell me you don’t want back in a Kwoon, mate.”

Both the former Deputy Marshal and Commander glared hard at Herc Hansen. He fought the urge to glower back at them, instead aiming for impassive. Each of the two made identical moves and icons indicating that the audio to the Hong Kong dome was now muted showed up on their screens. The two argued for several moments with the normally stoic Xiu Yang obviously yelling and gesturing wildly while Quan snarled back at her. 

“Did they ever hook up?” Chuck wondered out loud, earning himself a wicked smack from his sister. “Ow! That hurt!”

“They’re muted, you are not.” She growled at him. “Keep your trap shut.”

“Children.” Herc said evenly. Both Hansen children sat up straight and apologized then glared at each other. Raleigh suppressed the urge to laugh. 

“We will be at the dome by the end of the week, Marshal.” Said Quan, his voice echoing a bit in the room. The ominous darkness from Li Xiu Yang’s screen indicated she’d hung up. “Becket, Hansen, I expect the two of you to have a complete training schedule drawn up by the time I arrive. Miss Mori, Deputy Marshal Li would like to remind you that you and Mr. Hansen had the highest ever technical scores at the academy. I was also told to remind the Marshal that Deputy Marshal Li would be at the Shatterdome already if he’d picked up the phone and asked.”

Quan signed off, leaving no room for any of the Rangers he’d trained to get in the last word. Herc sighed and chuckled. 

“Xiu Yang is a wicked bird.”

“That she is.” Aleksis agreed. 

“Stacker did not like her leaving.” Said Sasha. 

“Didn’t have a choice after she broke Ambassador Taylor’s nose.” Herc stated simply, though the memory caused his lips to twitch. “Right. You two.” He levelled his best dad glare on Raleigh and Chuck. “You heard the man, a full training schedule by the end of the week. Can you do that?”

“When were you gonna tell me the plan, old man?”

“When I felt like you wouldn’t throw a tantrum at the suggestion. You saying you don’t want something to do after all that time in the med-bay?”

“No. Just wondering. Bonzer idea.” Chuck leered at Raleigh. “You up for the challenge, has been?”

“I’d be a better teacher than you, Charlie.”

“Shut up, both of you. Christ on a cracker, listening to you two is worse than dealing with politicians all day.” Charlotte interjected, exasperation evident in her voice. “Herc, I’m out. Stella’s been driving her tutors nuts all bloody week. We’re gonna head into town for some chow.”

“Sounds good. Bring me back something will ya? Mako and I have some paperwork to finish.”

“Will do. Mako, want anything?” 

“Stella knows what to get. Thank you Charlotte.” Mako answered, completely unfazed by the still bickering Raleigh and Chuck who were now kicking each other under the table. 

Charlotte kissed her brother’s head and waved goodbye. Chuck didn’t react, too busy trying to slam his heel down on Raleigh’s toes. Mako and Herc left the two of them to their idiotic game and moved to Herc’s desk. When Max and Lucy finally got involved and started barking, Herc shouted at them to leave. They did, but not without much shoving and tripping each other out the door. 

“When do you think they will break?” Mako asked several minutes later. 

“Dunno. Neither of them knows what a real relationship looks like. And Charlotte is jealous of how close they’re getting, which will make the both of them gun-shy.” Herc answered, not looking up from his paperwork. 

“Hmm. Perhaps the drift testing will settle her nerves. Leaving the UN will help as well.”

“My thoughts exactly. You convinced her to step down yet?”

“Almost. I think the closer we are to finishing the Jaeger, the easier it will be for her to relinquish this position. She feels she will betray Sensei’s memory if she steps away before the job is done. She has already spoken to Tendo, though. And I believe Miss Li can be convinced to take his place in LOCCENT. Forgive me, Marshal, but two Hansens in charge during peace time will overwhelm most politicians.” Mako smiled.

“You’re right about that, Mako.” Herc laughed. “Charlotte always did belong in a Jaeger, not behind a desk. And now that I’m Marshal, she definitely won’t allow anyone else in a pod with her brother. I’ll start in on her too. She’s gonna want to weld the new Jaegers together herself before long. Can’t do that if she’s stuck arguing with government officials all day.”

\-------

Raleigh and Chuck pushed each other around all the way down to the mess hall. Max and Lucy barked and weaved in between them the whole way, trying to join in on the fun. Each pilot grabbed a tray full of food and then made their way out to the catwalks in the Jaeger Bay. Djalu found them there twenty minutes later and deposited a box in Chuck’s lap. 

Striker’s chief J-Tech enlisted in the PPDC a year after Scissure’s attack on Sydney. His whole family died in the nuclear explosion that took the Kaiju down. He’d bounced around the Jaeger crews until Charlotte met him in Vladivostok and insisted that he be transferred to Lucky Seven’s crew when she was. The two of them worked well under Daniel Flint, Lucky’s first Chief Tech. When Flint left to manage Striker Eureka’s construction, he named Charlotte as his replacement and Djalu her second. The two of them completely overhauled the T-90 and replaced everything they could, from radiation shielding to bolts. Even after Charlotte stepped into the pod full-time she and Djalu kept upgrading the Mark I. If the Manila attack hadn’t completely decimated the Jaeger, then Lucky Seven would have been fighting off Leatherback and Otachi too. 

Djalu was also the Hansens chief supplier of sweets. Despite the rationing and exorbitant prices, the man had a direct line somewhere in Australia to a Tim Tam factory. Once a month he received two cases of them which he would divvy up between the three gingers. The first time he produced a package while Charlotte was pregnant, he’d gotten kissed. Chuck nearly came close to doing the same after his first deployment in Striker. Djalu knew how to take care of the Hansens, just as they knew to do with him. 

The doctors kept Chuck from truly indulging in his obsession with the chocolate biscuits for the last three months though, and so when Djalu dropped the box into his lap the pilot beamed and then scrambled to his feet. He lifted the stocky man off his feet and this time Chuck did kiss him. Djalu also knew how each Hansen kissed now, though he and Herc agreed to never speak of it again. 

“Bonzer! Thanks, mate. I’ve been craving these things for weeks.”

Wiping his face off with the sleeve of his coveralls, Djalu smirked. “Yeah well, don’t eat more than half a sleeve, kid. Can’t have you chunder all over the dome.” The J-Tech smiled wide at the obviously jealous look on Raleigh Becket’s face. “Oi, and I put enough in there for you to share with Mako and Raleigh here too. Don’t let me find out you didn’t let them have any, kid, or I’ll cut you off.”

Chuck nodded vehemently, already crouched back down and tearing into the box. Djalu shook his head.

“Oi, mate, keep an eye on him will ya? He’s got no self-control when it comes to these things. Eyes bigger than his stomach, this one.”

Raleigh nodded, glancing at Chuck. “I’ll make sure he doesn’t overdo it.”

“Thanks, mate. Nice to see the kid making friends. You’re a good bloke, Becket.”

Raleigh blushed and ducked his head, unused to praise after five years of solitude. “Yeah, well, someone’s got to keep him out of trouble.”

Djalu didn’t miss the fondness in Raleigh’s gaze as he watched Chuck counting his sleeves of Tim Tams. The J-Tech made a mental note to tell Charlotte exactly what the older pilot’s intentions were towards her little brother. He knew she was worried about the budding friendship, but everything Djalu just witnessed was a positive mark in Raleigh’s book. Anyone who looked at the kid like that and didn’t kill him after three months cooped up in medical deserved a medal, and Tim Tams. He nodded at the American and made his way off the catwalk back down to the Jaeger bay floor. 

Chuck finally settled in and split a sleeve of Tim Tams between his and Raleigh’s trays. 

“Don’t know where the man finds these things, but he always does. Docs absolutely refused to let him bring me some while I was still a patient. I’ve been craving them for three months. Consider yourself lucky that I’m sharing.” Chuck babbled excitedly before shoving a whole cookie in his mouth and biting down. 

Raleigh laughed at the image. Then he too bit into a cookie and moaned. He hadn’t eaten real chocolate since the early days of the K-War. He shoved the other half of the cookie in his mouth and picked up another one, oblivious to the sounds he was making. Chuck sat stock still next to him, mesmerized. He watched Raleigh bite into a third cookie and suppressed a groan. The man looked utterly blissed out and it was doing things to Chuck. 

“These are fucking perfect. I haven’t had real chocolate since before the Academy. We couldn’t get it even in the glory days. Do I have to fuck that guy to get my own box delivered?” Raleigh finally managed, licking chocolate off his fingers. 

Jealousy flared in Chuck at the suggestion that Raleigh fuck Djalu, but he curbed it and managed to sound halfway normal when he opened his mouth to respond. “Nah, mate. I’ll share. He usually gives me extra anyways. Says the chocolate keeps my mouth occupied with something other than spouting off.”

Raleigh grinned, it really was too easy to tease the kid. “Got a lot of people worried about keeping your mouth occupied, Chuck?”

“You offering, Ray?” He shot right back. Now that he was sure the other pilot was flirting with him, Chuck was more than comfortable pushing the boundaries. He may have been isolated and un-socialized as a kid in a dome, but becoming a pilot at sixteen meant he learned really quick how to flirt. Jaeger flies did not draw the line at legal age. Hell, there’d been a countdown in the States for him to turn eighteen.

Raleigh just laughed at him though. “No. Cause right now we need to be working. Got any ideas for the training schedule?”

“Not really. Don’t want to start today though. Really just want to enjoy my new bunk. Mako said we’ve all been moved up to the family quarters. Means I’m done sharing a room with my old man. And no offense, Ray, but sharing with you for three months hasn’t been all that fun either. I haven’t had a bunk to myself since the Academy. Just want to go get my stuff from Sydney set up and enjoy the privacy, ya know?”

“I get it. You mind if I tag along and help you unpack though? Today’s not a good day.”

Chuck whipped his gaze up from where Max was trying to snuggle into his lap to assess the other pilot. Neither of them had really bad days anymore, but in three months they’d both learned to communicate with each other when they needed someone around. Raleigh seemed fine earlier, but he was also a master at disguising his feelings, even from Mako. If he said it was a bad day, Chuck was sticking with him like glue. 

“Yeah, mate. I’ve got a lot of crap to sort through.” 

Raleigh grinned as though the kid’s easy acceptance hadn’t rocked him. He let Chuck haul him to his feet and carried both trays down to the mess while Chuck guarded his box of Tim Tams. They fell into companionable silence to the seventh floor barracks. When they reached Chuck’s room, Raleigh did a double take. 

“I’m gonna kill her.” 

“Oi, who?”

“Mako.”

“Why?” Chuck grunted as he hauled himself through the door. 

“Your room is part of a suite. It connects with mine.” He pointed past Chuck towards a door on the left side of the room. “Asked her about it today when she brought me up here. She didn’t tell me the connecting door led to your room. And she did all the room assignments herself. That door leads to a little common area. Mako’s room opens up on it too.”

Chuck dropped his box of cookies down on top of another box marked “C. J. Hansen” and walked towards the door Raleigh indicated. Sure enough it opened up onto a little common area with a kitchenette, sofa, two recliners and a massive television. Raleigh followed the other pilot and keyed his code in to open the door directly across from Chuck’s. The younger pilot peeked in and saw Raleigh’s collection of pictures tacked to the wall. He couldn’t resist and stepped inside. Raleigh had a full size bed pushed up against the wall in the corner. His bathroom door was open and Chuck could still smell the lingering scent of body wash. But he ignored all that and focused on the pictures. 

Most of them were shots of Raleigh as a kid with his brother and sister in various cities and landscapes. Several were of just his parents and sister. And tucked in the center were all the pictures of Yancy as an adult. Each one showed the elder Becket smiling and having fun. Tucked down in the corner though was one of Yancy wrapped around a very familiar figure, kissing her. Chuck blanched and glanced at Raleigh. The older pilot frowned when Chuck pointed at the picture. 

“It broke her you know. Losing him like that. I hated him for being the person who finally broke her. She’d kept her shit together since Scissure and didn’t let anyone get to her, not even Scott. But losing him turned her inside out. I wasn’t sure she’d ever pull herself together.”

Chuck chewed on his bottom lip a moment, still studying the pictures. He’d never had the chance to meet Yancy, learning everything he knew from the drift with his sister. “Then Stella was born and it was like a switch flipped. My sister was back and even though we were losing the war, she made all of us better pilots. She kept the politicians at bay, raised a baby, and managed to climb back into a Jaeger to take down two more Kaiju.”

“Yancy picked her name you know.”

“What?” 

“Stella. Yancy said our mom always wanted to name a little girl Stella. I didn’t know he told her that til she sent me the picture.” Raleigh pointed to a picture Chuck missed. It was positioned right next to one of Yancy leaping off the top of a waterfall. Chuck recognized the freckled mocha skin and wild red curls of his niece immediately. 

Raleigh pulled it off the wall and flipped it over. The back read, ‘For Dominique. For Jazmine. For Angela. For Yancy. Stella Alala Hansen. Born eight pounds, four ounces. July 31, 2020.’

“It showed up in the mail three days after I slit my wrists. Gene, the guy who took care of me, handed it to me and told me that I had something to live for now. He made me look at that picture every time I felt low and remind myself that I had a niece out there who would need me one day. Said it didn’t matter we weren’t blood. She was family.”

“I’m holding her in that picture you know.” Chuck said as he carefully replaced the picture on Raleigh’s wall. “I was sixteen years old and absolutely terrified. Dad and I took point on a three Jaeger drop our first deployment and I was so scared that I nearly rabbited. Dad reined me in and told me that if I didn’t get my shit together then there was nothing standing between the Kaiju and that baby. I kind of hated her for keeping my sister from being my copilot and sticking me with dad. But in that moment, seeing how excited Herc was to be a granddad, I pulled myself together and we took the fucker down. Two months later, Charlotte plopped Stella in my arms and told me to hold her still. She took that picture. I didn’t let go of her for hours after that. She’s what I’ve been fighting for ever since.”

He looked up to find Raleigh watching him carefully. “What?”

“Nothing. Come on, you said you needed to unpack.” Raleigh led Chuck back across the common area. Chuck noticed he didn’t close his door behind them. 

Once inside Chuck’s bunk again, the two pilots dug Max’s bed out of one of the boxes and laid it next to Lucy’s in the common room. Both dogs typically slept with their owners, but the pilots agreed that it was a better idea for them to have a space in the common room too. Out of the same box came about a hundred toys that fans, J-Techs, and Herc all bought Max over the years. The bulldog eagerly snapped them up and began arranging them, with Lucy’s help, around the common room. Raleigh and Chuck left the dogs contentedly tugging on a rope. 

Two hours later, they had all but one box unpacked and it was the one Chuck was dreading. He knew Raleigh wouldn’t let him leave it taped up, the way he’d had it for the last five years. Sure enough, Raleigh’s butterfly knife emerged once again from his cargo pants and sliced through the tape like butter, before Chuck could object. He only managed a grunted, “no,” and Raleigh paused long enough to register the embarrassment on the other Ranger’s face before gleefully opening up the box. 

Inside was Chuck’s childhood collection of Jaeger memorabilia. He had mint condition figures of all the original Mark I’s, with three of Lucky Seven of course. There were a few carefully rolled up posters in tubes, which Raleigh unrolled to see copies of the official blueprints for Lucky Seven, Coyote Tango, and Romeo Blue. There were a few Kaiju plushy toys. All of which, Raleigh noted, were ones he and Yancy took down in Gipsy. 

What took the cake though was the sheer amount of stuff devoted to Gipsy danger lining the bottom of the box. Sure there were still a lot of Lucky Seven tchotchkes and a few Striker figurines, but the signature blue of Raleigh’s beloved Jaeger adorned most of the souvenirs. Barely containing a full-blown smile, Raleigh reached into the bottom of the box and pulled out several t-shirts that bore the distinctive design of Gipsy’s head. 

Chuck realized what he was holding and groaned. “Leave it alone mate, I was a kid.”

“Still a kid, Chuck.” 

“Fuck you.”

Raleigh grinned widely. He eyed Chuck seriously for a moment before looking at the shirt again. It would have been massive on Chuck as a wiry fourteen-year-old. Raleigh vaguely remembered Charlotte showing him pictures. He also thought he remembered Charlotte buying this shirt when they met up in Seattle on leave one time. 

Before Chuck could react, Raleigh pounced, pinning the younger pilot to the bed. He pulled Chuck’s ever-present grey t-shirt over his head and pulled the Gipsy t-shirt down while Chuck was trying to throw him off, howling at Raleigh to get off. Mako entered Chuck’s room to find Raleigh still pinning a struggling Chuck and forcing his right arm through the hole. 

She had no words and gaped for a long moment before bursting into a full belly laugh. Both men froze and looked at her. Neither of them had ever heard her laugh so hard. Raleigh glimpsed a faint memory of young Mako laughing at her parents, but he knew she hadn’t laughed like this since. He looked down at Chuck who grinned and then climbed off the younger man. Chuck didn’t move to take the shirt off and both of them stared at Mako as she dissolved into a giggling mess. Lucy and Max sat at her feet, heads tilted and tails wagging, drawn in by the noise. 

When Mako finally composed herself and looked up, she burst into giggles again. The shirt was long enough to cover Chuck’s torso with a couple inches to spare, but the rest of it was so comically tight that she couldn’t keep a straight face. Raleigh noticed her look at the other pilot and then he too started giggling. He did appreciate the tight fit though as it showed off the boxer’s physique that Chuck worked hard to maintain, even after three months in medical. 

“You two are the worst bloody friends ever.”

This just made Mako and Raleigh laugh harder. 

“Oh fuck you both.”

Chuck stormed into the bathroom and got a good look at the shirt. He hadn’t missed the way Raleigh’s gaze lingered on him and he had to admit that even though it was tight, the shirt showed off his muscles. He rolled his eyes at the way the design stretched across his chest but left it on and wandered back into his room where Raleigh and Mako were cheerfully setting up his collection. Raleigh was hanging his posters above the desk while Mako studiously arranged the Jaeger figurines on his shelves. 

“Is this your way of apologizing?” Chuck asked. 

“Maybe.” Mako replied, concentrating on lining each figurine up perfectly. 

“Humph.” Chuck grunted. “Maybe I'd believe you if Raleigh wasn’t giggling like a bloody fucking idiot over there.”

Mako peeked at her copilot whose shoulders were shaking hard with barely contained laughter. “Perhaps Raleigh should apologize for pinning you to your bed.” Mako said as she lined up the last one. “Or maybe you are upset I interrupted.” She swanned out of the room, grinning madly as both men sputtered behind her. 

“You are a bloody goddamned troll, Mako Mori!” Chuck shouted after her. 

“Make sure to close your door for privacy, Chuck-kun.” She called back and then let her door close audibly behind her.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Translations:  
> 1--My Girl  
> 2--No you don't  
> 6--My Sweet  
> 7--Goodbye, My Darlings  
> Artwork:  
> 3--http://thedurrrrian.deviantart.com/art/Jaeger-King-Of-Sweden-389142991  
> 4--http://chamoth143.deviantart.com/art/Something-something-387536691  
> 5--http://rodrigo-vega.deviantart.com/art/Daishogun-572009229


	11. No Hesitation, What Are We Waiting For?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Originally posted 27 May 2017. Fully edited and Beta'd by 25 December 2017. 
> 
> So, you're reading a story rated Mature. There are Mature things taking place in this chapter. It's kinda silly that I feel the need to add a smut warning, but dammit here I am adding one. 
> 
> Not your cup of tea? Fine, skip to this sentence: "The sound of Raleigh’s angry pounding on the door woke them up." You've missed a fun scene that made me laugh while writing it and some golden Becket snark. But, hey, your choice. You're reading this so you obviously like the story otherwise. 
> 
> It's not particularly graphic, but well, its sex. Typing out "insert Tab A into Slot B" wouldn't be any fun. I'm keeping the Mature rating rather than upping it to Explicit, cause well this isn't PWP and I'm not dwelling on the scene. 
> 
> Enjoy! I did.

\------January 9, 2020-----

**0900 HRS, Icebox, Anchorage, Alaska**

Yancy groaned as the knocking on the door got louder. “Kid, see who it is!” He shouted, throwing a pillow at his brother’s face on the bottom bunk. He’d stayed up late the night before talking to Charlotte and was in no mood for whomever the Marshal sent to wake them up. It was their first day of leave. Raleigh hopped out of the bed, scratching his stomach as he headed for the door. Despite the constant chill, he rarely wore a shirt to sleep. He pulled open the door to find six feet of perturbed Australian ginger waiting for him on the other side. 

“Buggering hell, Rals! Put a shirt on will ya.”

Yancy popped up at the sound of Charlotte Hansen’s voice. They were supposed to go up to Kodiak Island today to see her and the ever mysterious Chuck, not the other way around. He jumped off the top bunk, bodily shoved his brother out of the way, and pulled her into the room. Raleigh whined as he bumped into the wall and then gagged at the sight of Yancy yanking Charlotte up by the hips and pinning her to the wall to kiss her. 

“Come on guys! At least wait til I leave the room.” 

He was summarily ignored. So, grumbling, he found a shirt and his boots and left the room to head for the mess. Once there, he spotted Tendo in a corner, mainlining his fifth cup of tea for the day. The LOCCENT tech looked up when Raleigh plopped down across from him and cocked an eyebrow. 

“Where’s your other half, Becket boy?”

“Defiling our bunk as we speak.”

Tendo frowned. “I thought he was done with that shit? Aren’t he and the Hansen girl together.”

Raleigh speared a piece of fruit on his fork and pointed it at the man’s impressive pompadour. “That is _exactly_ who he is defiling. They didn’t even wait for me to clear the room before they started in on each other. You know how disturbing it is to see your brother sucking a hickey into your best friend’s neck, man?”

Tendo shuddered. “Thought you two were going up to Kodiak to see her today.”

“I did too. Yancy was surprised. Course then he was pinning her against a wall, so I don’t think he’s using his big brain for the important details right now.” 

The LOCCENT tech laughed at his friend’s disgusted face. “Well, you’re free to bunk with me while she’s here. They still haven’t taken that extra bed away from me yet.”

“Thanks Tendo. I’m just wondering how long I have to wander around in my pajamas before it’s safe to return, honestly.”

Meanwhile, Yancy managed to gain some higher brain functioning back as Charlotte pinned him to the floor, hands above his head. 

“Figured you’d be pushy.” He grinned, bucking his hips up to meet hers. “What are you doing here, Lotte?”

Charlotte didn’t respond immediately. Choosing to pull Yancy’s blue sweater off and bite into his shoulder. “Couldn’t wait to see you. And something important came up. Needed to see the Marshal.” 

Yancy groaned as she bit down again, pulling blood to the surface. He’d have a mark for weeks at this rate. He rolled his hips up again, distracting Charlotte. Taking the opportunity, he sat up, planting her firmly in his lap and began unbuttoning her standard issue J-Tech coveralls. She’d lost her ridiculous bomber jacket shortly after entering the room. Her boots followed soon after. 

“What was so important?” He asked, mouthing at the skin appearing from behind the buttons. 

“Later.” She moaned. 

He grinned and ripped the rest of the buttons open. A couple of them popped off and flew through the air to clatter to the floor. The coveralls slipped off her shoulders and he was met with the sight of Charlotte’s bra-clad boobs, inches from his face. 

Jaeger pilots got over nudity incredibly quickly. You had to. It took a half dozen people to get you in your drivesuit and the conductive under layer. And at the Academy everyone got suited up together for the simulations. If you did a multi-Jaeger drop, chances were that you’d see your fellow pilots naked afterwards too. 

But Yancy wasn’t thinking about that right now, even though he took a good long look only a few weeks ago in Manila. Right now he was looking up at Charlotte’s face, amazed that she was letting him touch her. Barely a month ago he thought he’d completely fucked up their entire relationship and now here she was half-naked in his lap. He had to be dreaming. 

“Oi. Earth to Yance. You gonna get with the rooting program here or am I gonna have to take care of myself?”

Absently trailing his hands across her back, Yancy grinned before dumping Charlotte on the floor. 

“What the fuck!”

Yancy reached up to his bunk and pulled down his pillows and blankets. “Well I don’t like the logistics of screwing on the top bunk, Lotte. And Raleigh will kill us both slowly if we use his bed. So, floor it is.”

Charlotte scrunched up her nose and frowned. She stood up and let Yancy spread the blanket out while she shed her coveralls and socks. While Yancy was distracted, she snuck up behind him and reached around to palm him through his pajama bottoms. He groaned at the contact and his knees buckled a little bit so Charlotte pushed him towards the wall. 

She reached down to grab a pillow and knelt in front of him. Yancy let out a choked sound and thumped his head back against the wall. Charlotte eased the flannel trousers down his legs, delighted to find him going commando. She glanced up to see that Yancy was watching her, transfixed. A wicked grin crossed her face. She leaned in, keeping eye contact, and sucked him into her mouth. She worked him farther in on each down stroke, bobbing her head and running her tongue along the vein. Yancy bucked his hips and she reached up to use all her considerable strength to pin him against the wall. 

“Stay still.” She ordered and then ducked her head again. This time she sucked him in until her nose bumped his pelvis. She pulled off slowly, keeping the tip of his cock in her mouth and tonguing the slit, before diving back down. Yancy let out a litany of, “oh, Fuck!” and “Charlotte, please!” as she worked him over. She tortured him for nearly ten minutes. Her hands traced teasing circles into his hipbones and she finally hummed around him when he pulled her hair particularly hard. That was the last straw, he spilled down her throat and then he was yanking her up to kiss her. 

Charlotte smiled against his lips. “Liked that did you?”

“Pretty sure I’m dreaming.”

“Hmm.” She answered as he leaned in to kiss her, tongue darting into her mouth and teasing hers. He let his hands wander and pushed down her underwear. Yancy traced his fingers lightly along her sides as he pushed away from the wall and collapsed into the desk chair. Charlotte didn’t follow him immediately. Instead she reached into the top drawer of his and Raleigh’s desk and pulled out a strip of PPDC issue condoms. 

“I really don’t think I want to know how you knew to look there.” Yancy ground out as Charlotte climbed back into his lap, pushing the back of the chair against the desk. 

“Hmm. Let’s not bring your brother into this.” She snarked back. 

Yancy laughed and dropped his head into the crook of her neck. He’d already sucked an impressive hickey into life on the other side and so he set about providing her with a matching set. Charlotte breathed heavily in his ear and moaned every time his hands wandered to a sensitive area. Yancy started paying attention to those spots. Eventually he got around to kissing her again and popped the front clasp of the sports bra she wore. He palmed her breasts and then dropped his head to take the left one in his mouth. Charlotte fisted her hands in his hair and yanked him back. 

“If you don’t get inside me right now, I’m going to tie you to this chair and find someone who will.” She growled. Yancy reached blindly and recklessly behind him for a condom. Charlotte leaned into him, mouthing at his neck and shoulders, using more teeth the longer it took him to unwrap, unroll, and steady himself. He thanked whatever deity was listening that he was young and could get it up again so fast because when Charlotte sank down onto him, he almost lost control despite one previous orgasm. 

“Fuck, Lotte.” She didn’t respond except to moan as he bucked into her. “Why have we never done this before?”

Charlotte didn’t answer for several moments as she set up a punishing rhythm of downward thrusts to match Yancy’s. When she finally did, it was with her eyes open and watching Yancy’s face. “We’re both, nnnh. Uh! Idiots.”

All Yancy could do was grunt in agreement as he dropped his head and sucked a breast into his mouth. Charlotte howled at the stimulation and clawed his shoulders. She kept up the brutal rhythm and eye contact with Yancy as they let out all of their respective frustration on one another. She was sure to have bruises along her sides in ten perfectly spaced circles and he was bleeding from the scratches down his shoulders, arms, and chest. Finally, though, they peaked and Charlotte came with a barely contained scream that sent Yancy over the edge. 

They collapsed in on each other and sat very still for a few moments before Yancy stood up slowly and laid Charlotte down on the blankets and pillows. He went to the bathroom and disposed of the condom. Returning, he found Charlotte snuggled into their nest watching him. He lay down next to her and cuddled her close. She traced the scratches on his chest for a few moments. 

“These are gonna sting for a few days.” 

“I’ll live.” He grinned at her. 

She smiled back and leaned into a kiss. Unwilling to let the moment go, she climbed on top of him and pinned his arms above his head again. He surprised her by pulling loose from her bruising grip and flipping them over. She let out a huff of anger which was quickly replaced by a moan as Yancy snaked down her body and latched himself onto her clit. He pushed one arm over her hips to keep her pinned and the other hand joined his lips and tongue in driving her crazy. He pushed three fingers into her and his thumb against her clit as his tongue delved in to join his fingers. Within moments she was writhing from the overstimulation and coming hard. He didn’t let up, though, and pushed her through two more gasping orgasms. As she lay still, catching her breath he crawled over her. Charlotte pulled him down until he covered her entire body. 

 

He was hard again and she knew that what she was going to tell him would change things, so she reached for the condoms she’d stashed under the pillows of their nest and deftly rolled one onto him. She flipped them and let him lift her up and down as she rode him hard. He sat up and rolled them again, pinning her down with his upper body as he slammed his hips into hers. He coaxed her through another orgasm, his face buried in her neck, before he too came. This time he just pulled the condom off, knotted it and flung it in the general direction of the trashcan. 

They cuddled sleepily in their nest for close to an hour before Charlotte woke. She sat up gingerly, aware that she was going to feel this morning’s activities for several days. Yancy snapped awake beside her but stayed quiet. Something was bothering her. When he noticed that her breath was uneven, like she was crying, he pulled her back down and tucked her against him. There were no tears, but she was definitely upset. He had nothing to say to comfort her, so he said the only thing that mattered. 

“I love you.” Charlotte sucked in a breath and pulled away from him to look him in the eye. “You don’t have to say it back, but I mean it. I think it’s been that way for a long time.”

“I love you, too. Been that way for longer than I care to admit.”

Yancy said nothing, just smiled and tucked her back against his chest. They fell asleep.   
\------  
The sound of Raleigh’s angry pounding on the door woke them up. Trust the younger Becket to ruin a good post-coital nap. 

“Come on you guys! I need to change my clothes. You’ve been in there for five hours.”

Yancy blearily got to his feet and pulled his pants on. An hour and a half of sleep was not nearly enough time to recover from Charlotte. “Hold on Rals.”

He fumbled through the top drawer of his dresser and tossed Charlotte a shirt as she pulled her bra and underwear back on. It didn’t cover much as she was the same height but she reached down and pulled her coveralls on, tying the upper half around her waist. Satisfied Raleigh wouldn’t freak out seeing his best friend looking utterly debauched, Yancy flung the door open. 

“For fuck’s sake, took you long enough.” 

He ignored both of them, heading straight for his dresser and pulling out clothes. Raleigh stripped down and pulled on cargo pants a t-shirt and a lumpy blue sweater he’d stolen from Yancy. His boots appeared back on his feet and he made to go sit in the desk chair when Yancy chuckled. His eyes shot to his brother’s shit-eating grin and he groaned. 

“The chair, really? Ugh. You’re disinfecting this thing.”

Charlotte murmured something about leverage as she piled up the blankets and pillows and tossed them onto Yancy’s bunk. 

“So, why are you here Charlotte?” Raleigh said, ignoring her. 

Neither Becket missed her shoulders tensing up before she turned to face them. “I didn’t want to have this conversation within fifty miles of my brother.”

“What’s Chuck got to do with you coming down and screwing my brother’s brains out?” Raleigh asked, a bit confused. 

“Nothing. Wasn’t actually planning on it til he latched onto me like a barnacle. Hard to think clearly when six-feet of blond bombshell is pinning you to a wall.”

Yancy’s smug grin earned him a glare from Charlotte, who was now sitting on Raleigh’s bunk, and a smack across the stomach from his brother as they both leaned against the desk. 

“So what are you here for?”

Charlotte looked away and cleared her throat. “I…um. I need to lodge a formal complaint against Ian and I’m not engaging in the particulars with anyone but the Marshal and you two.”

Both brothers instantly tensed into alertness. Charlotte’s tone was flat, devoid of her usual bravado. Something serious had gone down between her and Ian. 

“What did he do?” Yancy growled out. Charlotte flinched. Raleigh hit his brother again before crossing the room and crouching in front of his best friend. She didn’t need a jealous boyfriend right now. 

“Lotte?” Raleigh asked. She broke down into sobs and he crawled onto the bed to pull her close. Yancy broke down and ended up on her other side, rubbing her back as she cried into Raleigh’s shoulder. The brothers watched each other with undisguised fear. They’d never seen Charlotte cry before. 

“It’s okay kiddo, I’ve got you.” Raleigh crooned over and over for the long minutes it took Charlotte to calm down. 

When she did stop crying she pulled away abruptly and let out a strangled, “Fuck!” A few sniffles later and she started trying to talk. Several sputtering attempts later she looked Yancy straight in the eye and screwed up her considerable Hansen bravado. “I think I’m pregnant.”

Yancy’s eyes bugged out of his head. He collapsed back against the post of the bunk bed and lost all the air in his lungs. Raleigh had a similar reaction, but Charlotte only had eyes for Yancy. He breathed hard for a minute, processing the words. 

“But all the female pilots are on birth control.”

“I know.”

“And you’re smart, Lotte. You always use condoms.”

“I know.”

“Fuck. How?”

“I’m not sure, Yance. But he’s the only person I’ve had sex with, until today, since August. I’ve had these ridiculous mood swings for the last couple weeks and I’ve been exhausted. Herc thought I was coming down with something after Manila. I slept for almost two days straight. He forced me to get up and eat. Then I show up for the drift trials with Chuck and start having these horrendous mood swings. I screamed at my brother for bringing me ice cream two days ago. I have no other logical explanation.” Charlotte babbled.

Raleigh gaped, Yancy stared. Neither of them was prepared for this. Charlotte started to draw in on herself at the lack of reaction. Yancy snapped out of it and pulled her into his arms. 

“This changes nothing. You hear me. Nothing. I’m with you no matter what, Lotte.”

Raleigh sandwiched her on the other side. “Me either, kiddo. You’re never getting rid of me.”

They sat on Raleigh’s bed for several minutes in an uncomfortable sandwich before cramping calves and toes forced them apart. 

“So, why come here?” Raleigh finally asked. 

“Cause you two can drive into Anchorage and grab me a few over-the-counter pregnancy tests before I take this to medical and get myself grounded unnecessarily.”

Yancy and Raleigh both jumped off the bed and scrambled to get properly dressed for Anchorage in January. They bolted out the door without a word to Charlotte and returned an hour later with a bag full of every pregnancy test they could find at the drugstore just off base. Charlotte chugged four bottles of water while they were gone and took a leisurely shower. By the time they returned with their comically full bag, she was ready to pee on some sticks. 

After the fourth positive result, Charlotte crumpled to the floor. Two more and she gave up. She washed her hands, called the boys in and asked them to take her to medical. Raleigh had the sense to carry the positive tests with them. On arrival, Yancy snagged one of the nurses, Sarah, and quickly explained Charlotte’s situation. The older nurse had a soft spot for the Becket boys and knew that the young pilot in front of her would not have come to medical unless she was positive. 

Sarah ushered them into a private room and broke out an ultrasound they used to identify internal bleeding most of the time. The med-bay was a military hospital, not a pregnancy ward. A quick search found the fetus. Sarah took measurements as Charlotte let silent tears stream down her face. Yancy held her hand and glanced between the screen and his brother while the nurse worked. Sarah printed a couple of pictures and told the three to stay there. She found another nurse with obstetrics experience and one of the younger doctors, Paula, who’d come on board when she found out how many families were a part of the PPDC. A quick explanation and the ultrasound photos got both moving. 

Dr. Paula Marvelo entered the room to find a stoic Charlotte Hansen giving Yancy Becket’s hand a death grip. She knew the pilot was only barely nineteen. Everyone knew who she was. But Paula was a professional. She let Sarah and the other nurse set up the sonogram and gently pushed Yancy Becket away from the bed. The sonogram was much more detailed and a few minutes and several measurements later Paula had an idea of the date of conception. She kicked the Becket brothers out of the room and performed a full pelvic exam, fussing at the girl for having sex before coming to see her, but not blaming her one bit. Yancy Becket was a hot piece of ass. Then she felt along the girl’s right bicep until she found the implant. She removed it and took a sample of blood before patching the pilot’s arm up and holding her hand tight. 

“Alright, Charlotte, do you want the boys back in here for this?”

Charlotte nodded frantically and the other nurse, Shelby, let them in as she left to create a chart and get the young pilot’s blood and implant tested. 

“Okay, so you’re pregnant. We know that. The question is how. You obviously had sex. But you say you always use condoms and you have an implant, that according to our records was replaced in July and fully functioning in a follow up appointment at the end of October.” Paula glanced at the computer to confirm this. “So unless you are the statistical improbability of a .00001% chance of pregnancy, someone tampered with your implant and also with the condoms you used.”

“Ian Staughton.”

Paula flinched. She’d met the bastard. He definitely struck her as the type to do something like this. “How long were you sexually active with him?” 

“About three weeks. In November. I broke it off with him because he was trying to compromise my ability to be Striker Eureka’s new pilot. Didn’t realize he had a backup plan.”

“Well considering I know for a fact that the Becket Boys were confined to base on suspension at that time I’ll forego a paternity test until you lodge a formal complaint. After that, we’ll demand Ian’s DNA and prove it’s his. You’re about eight weeks pregnant. We can do the test without hurting the baby. But here’s the real question for you, Charlotte. Do you want to keep it? We have the resources to do an abortion here if you choose.”

Charlotte looked stricken. “No. It’s mine. Fighting this war will not take this kid away from me. I don’t care how I ended up pregnant. It’s my baby.”

Paula nodded, she knew the girl prized family above everything. The Hansen tragedy was well known around the PPDC. “Understood. Now, I’d recommend you stay here. I’m one of only two docs on PPDC staff with any real OBGYN experience. We’ll get your father up here ASAP and put you in the barracks or at Kodiak, okay. With you this far along and the stress of piloting while pregnant already under your belt, I don’t want you traveling long distances all that much.” Charlotte nodded. “Good. Now, get dressed, I’m gonna call the Marshal and tell him to expect you.” 

Paula pulled the Becket brothers out with her while Sarah helped Charlotte clean up and redress. 

“Alright, you two. I need you to promise me something. You need to watch her. Make sure she stays hydrated and sleeps enough. Her father and brother are going to roll in here and turn her inside out. I don’t want any of you hunting Staughton down. She needs you to stand by her here. I will take care of her medically, but you are going to need to handle everything else.” She paused to let her words sink in. “Also, Yancy. She can have sex while pregnant, it won’t hurt the baby. But no more marathons that leave bruising like what I saw in there. Keep it easy.”

Yancy blushed but was saved from responding by Charlotte exiting the room. Nurse Shelby reappeared with a bag of rattling bottles which she dropped in Raleigh’s outstretched hand. She explained about neonatal vitamins and a proper diet and exercise. Paula went over the need to avoid stress as much as possible early in the pregnancy and then sent the trio on their way. She called the Marshal’s office from her private desk phone and told him that Charlotte Hansen was on her way with a private medical matter. Paula told him to be on his best behavior with the girl or she’d make him regret it. As she hung up to the sound of a knock on the Marshal’s door, she knew Charlotte Hansen was one of those people that inspired loyalty in those that knew her. Loyalty or unadulterated hatred. There was no in between. No one could be that strong all the time and expect anything less.   
\-----  
Stacker Pentecost watched as his best friend’s daughter marched into his office in perfect lockstep. She looked ruffled around the edges, but was still the same Charlotte Hansen he’d known for six years. She’d grown up a lot in those years and the weight of the world hung on her shoulders as heavy as on his own. Whatever was going on with her would require his full attention. He signed the last piece of paperwork on his desk and stood to file it as he gestured for Charlotte to sit down. Instead of returning to the chair behind his desk, he took a seat next to her. 

“What seems to be the problem, Ranger?”

“I wish to lodge a formal complaint against Ian Staughton, sir.”

Stacker managed to keep his mask in place. If he’d had his way, the little parasite would have been packed back off to England where his mother could squash him like the bug he was. Instead his father’s friend, Ambassador Cole insisted that the boy simply be transferred to the Pacific Defense Committee as a liaison. 

“What are your charges, Ranger Hansen?” 

The Marshal watched the girl crumple before her spine straightened and she locked eyes with him. “I believe that former Ranger Staughton tampered with both my implant and condoms we used while engaging in a sexual relationship in November. I would also like to charge him with reckless endangerment as his actions meant that I piloted a Jaeger while approximately four weeks pregnant. If I miscarried or suffered any of the normal early pregnancy symptoms while in the drift the resulting panic and/or trauma would have rendered me unconscious. Dad and I would have fallen out of alignment and Lucky Seven would have been unable to continue the fight.”

Stacker softened his gaze and rocked his body forward to prop his elbows on his knees. “Alright, Charlie. I’m not the Marshal for the next few minutes. I’m your dad’s best mate and I need you to tell me at least an abridged version.”

Charlotte slouched backwards in the chair, losing all her composure. “You know the Beckets and I fought after the whole Naomi Sokolov thing. Well I was emotional and so I started sleeping with the bastard like an idiot. I always use condoms. Always. I wasn’t invested in him. He was just a way to relieve stress. Then Ambassador Grigorovich’s wife caught me at one of the press events the last week of the tour. She and I overheard him spouting off about how I didn’t deserve to be a pilot and you know the rest of that story. Well about a week before the Manila drop I started feeling tired. But I was also pushing eighteen hour days so I didn’t think anything of it. Then we roll out of Manila and I slept for two straight days. Dad had to force me up to eat, drink, and piss. I felt better though, so I just assumed it was the stress catching up with me, yeah? I shipped out for Kodiak ten days ago and I’ve spent the last nine of them with wicked mood swings and fucking weird food cravings. Couldn’t risk Chuck finding out my suspicions in a drift test and blowing a gasket, so I came down here.”

“And there’s no way Yancy Becket could be the father?” Stacker asked as delicately as possible. 

“None. Yancy and I hadn’t had sex with each other til this morning.” Charlotte blushed. 

“Alright then, let me get the paperwork. I want this bastard out of my organization.” Stacker stood up and pulled the young ranger to her feet so he could hug her. Then he pulled away, the mask of Marshal Pentecost falling into place, and returned behind his desk. The father in him wanted to fly to New York tonight, picking Herc up along the way, and beat the shit out of Ian Staughton. The soldier in him won out though and formally took Charlotte’s complete statement. 

Raleigh and Yancy paced the hallway outside the Marshal’s office for forty-two minutes before Charlotte emerged looking ashen but stern. The Marshal stopped them from leaving immediately and pulled them into his office.

“Rangers. I do not think I need to tell you what needs to be done here. I will handle informing her father and brother. You two keep her busy for the two days it will take for Hercules Hansen to get here. I want her watched like a hawk, understood?”

“Yes, sir.”

“Good. And you let me handle Ian Staughton. I’ll make sure he regrets the day he chose to interfere with one of my Rangers.”


	12. Well It's Cold, Cold, Cold, Cold Inside

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Originally posted 28 May 2017. Fully edited and Beta'd by 25 December 2017. 
> 
> Well after the fun and angst of the last chapter, of course I had to bring our boys back. So, here they are, angsting and bonding. Their copilots are bonding as well, but this story isn't going to pass the Bechdel test. Sorry, not sorry. It's a shitty test for the SciFI genre. It's actually kind of a shitty test in general. A good idea, not so great in practice. 
> 
> Okay, off my soapbox. Happy Christmas. 
> 
> P.S. *wink wink* *nudge nudge* Take a gander at who our cross-fandom visitors are...

\--------March 31, 2025------

**1400 HRS, Jaeger Academy Complex construction site, Beijian Dao, Guandong, China**

Raleigh looked up at the two mountain peaks towering over the construction site that would house the new Jaeger academy. The “Asses’ Ears” as the locals called the mountains, bracketed the new facility. As Raleigh turned his focus to the 3D mock-up of the complex, he caught Charlotte’s eye. She was watching him, suspiciously. He tilted his head questioningly and she narrowed her eyes before twitching her chin and looking over his shoulder. 

Behind him, underneath another tent twenty yards away, Chuck and Mako were obviously fighting. With months of experience, and a drift under his belt, Raleigh could read both of the other pilots like a book. Chuck was tensed up, one hand raised to gesture with, the other clenched in a fist at his side. Mako was drawn up to her full height, at 5’5” Chuck still dwarfed her, eyebrows raised and snarling at the bigger pilot. Raleigh forgot sometimes that his friends were the same age and so, very young. Times like this, where they shared an emotional moment, and let some of their walls fall, were guaranteed to expose the youth still present in their features. 

Charlotte crossed around the table to stand next to Raleigh. Her own youthful features long gone, despite being only twenty-four. She’d been responsible for far too much for far too long to retain any of the girlish charm she’d possessed when they met. Nine years of service in the PPDC, coupled with the stress of her life prior, left her with sharp cheekbones and a permanent calculating expression. 

“What are those bloody fools arguing about now?”

Raleigh stopped studying her to look back at the fighting pilots. “Dunno. They’ve been fine all week. Mako had some visitors this morning, though. Chinese guy my age, definitely from Hong Kong, had the accent, and his wife. She was a little keyed up after they left, but nothing too serious.”

“Hmm. I think I know what’s going on. Grab that umbrella.” She pointed at the massive domed umbrella to his left. 

Once it was open and covering both of them, they carefully navigated the muddy ground across to the other tent. Neither of their copilots registered their arrival and they kept arguing. 

“I don’t bloody care what he said Mako. You should do it.”

“You knew them much longer than I, Chuck.”

“Fuck that. You spent just as much time here as I did growing up, Mako. They adored you.”

“But you were their friend first, Chuck-kun.”

Charlotte stepped forward as her brother geared up for another round. “Liu came to see you I take it?”

“He did.” Mako responded. Chuck flinched away from his sister’s voice, obviously not expecting to be caught out arguing with the other pilot. Raleigh took a position in between his friend and copilot, a barrier and support for both. 

“Well?” Charlotte asked. She stood apart from the other three pilots. In private she was perfectly capable of letting down the mask, but out here she was the Vice-Marshal first. 

“Liu heard about the new facility here. He said the island always amused his brothers because of the mountains’ nickname. He would like their ashes scattered here and the new facility dedicated to them. Liu wants Chuck to scatter the ashes with him.” Mako calmly replied. Now that Raleigh and Charlotte were here, she was certain Chuck would be persuaded to comply with Liu Wei Tang’s request. 

“Why Chuck?” Raleigh asked. 

“Because my brother got into quite a bit of mischief with the triplets before we were moved to Sydney. Every time Deputy Marshal Li turned her head, the four of them were pulling another prank on someone. They even ran away from the dome one night and hid out at Liu’s apartment for three days before Herc and Hin Shen found them. Liu had taken to calling Chuck, ‘the spare.’ This was before Crimson was finished, the brothers were still in a Mark II running back up for Horizon most of the time. Chuck was the closest friend the Wei brothers had.”

Raleigh turned a cool look on the younger man to his left. “Chuck.”

“Look, don’t start in on me too, mate. They were my friends, yeah. But it don’t feel right to stand next to their brother when I could have done something to save them.”

“Chuck…” Mako began. But the other pilot turned away, blinking hard, and marched out into the rain. 

Charlotte moved to follow, but stopped. She knew her brother better than anyone, Herc included. She looked over her shoulder at Mako and Raleigh who were watching Chuck walk way, identical looks of sadness across their faces. Charlotte sighed and turned back around. 

“Rals, go after him.”

Raleigh startled. “Me?”

“Yeah. If I go he’s gonna push back. Same with Mako. You didn’t know the Weis. You’re a neutral party. Let him vent a bit and then give him your honest opinion, yeah? Just know that the Weis would be kicking his ass right now for second-guessing himself like this.” Raleigh hesitated. “Go on, mate. He needs you.”

Raleigh grabbed the umbrella and marched off after the other pilot. Charlotte watched him go, blond hair chasing red through the grey haze. Their hair color was the only distinguishable feature amongst the fog. Once she could no longer see them in the distance she turned to find an assessing Mako Mori watching her. 

“What?”

“I did not believe your father when he said you were jealous. But you are.”

“Oh, fuck off, Mako.” 

“No. You are jealous, Charlotte. Why?”

Charlotte glared at the shorter pilot. Nearly ten years of friendship told her that the gesture was useless, Mako Mori was as impenetrable as her adoptive father when she wanted to be. Right now, the look on her face could stop a Kaiju cold. 

“Charlotte. Tell me what is wrong.”

“Really don’t want to have this conversation out here, Mako.”

“Then we will return to the Shatterdome. We have all inspected the site enough today. Come, we will inform Lieutenant Barnes that we wish to return. The boys may take the other helicopter back.”

Mako picked up a massive black umbrella and indicated that Charlotte should carry it. The two women walked in easy silence down to the shore where a makeshift helipad had been set up. Two Jumphawks waited on the beach. The aforementioned Lieutenant Barnes smacked his copilot over the head when he spotted the women and started up the chopper. He helped them climb up, the sand and mud impeding their ability to navigate the smooth railings. 

“Where are Abbott and Costello?” The man asked, his thick Brooklyn accent marring the words. 

“Taking a long walk.” Charlotte responded. Barnes was the squad leader on the choppers that would fly Lucky and then Striker out for deployments. She’d known him for years. His copilot, Jones, came over the headset radios a second later. 

“We waitin’ on anyone else or should I tell Jim to expect two more later on?”

Barnes double checked the women’s harnesses, not out of necessity but habit, he’d spent many years buckling them in as teenagers. The eye rolls he got in return were habitual as well, but he just smiled and climbed into the cockpit. 

“Radio Jim and Sam too. Charlie says they’re taking a walk. Could end up at the other pad. The koala’s probably going to be sore too. He’s not up to fighting fit, yet.”

Jones grimaced. He and Barnes had been the ones to fly the injured Rangers back to the Shatterdome after Pitfall. Besides, Chuck Hansen was prickly on a good day. An achy, wet, emotionally exhausted Chuck Hansen turned into a nightmare. Hopefully Raleigh Becket would be able to calm him down, a miracle he seemed to perform every day if the scuttlebutt from the dome was to be believed. As Barnes lifted the chopper off the pad, Jones switched frequencies on his headset and radioed the other two pilots. Both expressed displeasure at the possibility of dealing with Chuck and told him to ask the Vice-Marshal for compensation. 

\-----

The sound of a chopper flying low over his head made Chuck stop his determined gait. The rain abated a bit, so he wasn’t soaked to the bone, but the warm day was making his wet clothing uncomfortable. He ducked into a half-finished building that had a roof and collapsed into a corner. Raleigh found him there not a minute later and said nothing. He closed the umbrella and propped it by the entrance before sinking down next to Chuck on the floor. They sat in silence, listening to the rain patter lightly on the roof, for a long time before Chuck spoke. 

“Told you I didn’t have much practice with friends, yeah?”

“You did.”

“Before Scissure, Herc moved us around so much that it was mostly just Charlie and me. Other kids on base were hard to keep in touch with, and when we made friends off base we knew we would lose them. Young kids don’t think about those things, ya know? There’s always someone else to play with.”

“Yeah. We travelled for fun as a family, but Anchorage isn’t really that big of a town. And we lived far enough outside it that Jazz and Yancy were my only friends for years. Especially since mom homeschooled us til eighth grade. Then she got sick. Yancy and I dropped out of high school and took care of Jazz because my father was falling into the bottle.”

“Both our families fell apart.”

“They did.” Raleigh said simply. “But we built new ones.” 

Chuck nodded. It took him a long time to open up again after his mum died. Herc and Scott packed him and Charlotte off to Alice Springs with their parents while they enlisted and went through the Academy. For six months he’d listened to his horrible grandfather bitch and moan about how his son abandoned his children to fight monsters. Chuck hated his father for saving him instead of his mum, sure. But he’d also been the one to tell Herc that he’d forgive him only if he climbed in a Jaeger and killed the monsters that took his mum. 

Arriving at the Hong Kong dome, hiding behind his Uncle Scott, a barely twelve-year old Chuck Hansen had been immediately spotted by seventeen-year old Wei Hu. The Chinese teenager dribbled over to the Hansen siblings and invited them to join their basketball game. Both Hansens were in the middle of growth spurts and their lanky frames were nearly even in height with the triplets. Charlotte told their father to piss off and dragged Chuck into the game. 

They’d played together for hours. Charlotte finally bowed out to hunt down their father, but the triplets convinced Chuck to join them for video games. Herc found his son in the Wei Tang quarters just before dawn, red eyed and cursing in perfect Cantonese as Jin pushed him off the Rainbow Road in Mario Kart. Chuck smiled at the memory. 

“We did. I didn’t see it before, yeah?”

“Neither did I, not til I lost it again.”

“You still came back. Glad you did, mate.” Chuck said. “I know what I said at the time, but we couldn’t have done it without you.”

“Thanks.” Raleigh sighed, a pensive look on his face. “Wanna tell me about the Weis?”

“Not really. But I need to. Just know that this is officially a bad day, mate.”

“Understood.”

“Hu kidnapped me five minutes after I set foot in the Hong Kong dome. Dragged me and Charlotte into a pick-up game with Jin and Cheung. Then after Charlotte left, they played video games with me til dawn. I’d never really had anyone pay attention to me like that. That day forward until Lucky was reassigned, the Weis found a way to include me in everything. And on days when all I wanted to do was follow Djalu around fixing Jaegers, they joined there too. They were my first real friends.”

“You know the Gage twins are the reason Yance and I are pilots.” Raleigh said as Chuck trailed off into a sad silence.

“Really?”

“Yeah. Met them four months before we enlisted. They’d stopped in Anchorage for a few days. Yance and I were on the work crew at the dome. We snuck into a bar after a shift one night and Yancy hit on a waitress whose boyfriend happened to be sitting at the next table. And my brother, the dickhead he was, started a fight. The Gages were in the booth behind us and saw the whole thing. They realized we were probably drift compatible from the way we fought.

“We got kicked out of the bar and they followed us out. We were totally star struck. They told us to look into enlisting, that the PPDC could use scrappy fighters like us. Yance was all for it, but I knew if we left then Jazz would end up in the system. They stayed in contact with us though. Showed up three weeks before the Academy opened up for a new class with paperwork that would name us Jazz’s legal guardians, which meant she would be our dependent. They even stayed and talked to her for hours about how she could live with them in LA til we were done training.” 

“So you joined.” 

“We did. They were the closest thing Yance and I had to father-figures for a long time.”

“They’re good blokes.”

“So were the Weis.” Raleigh prodded a bit. 

“It’s not gonna work mate.”

“Had to try.”

Chuck sighed and shuffled to get comfortable against the concrete wall. The rain picked up again and the rhythmic tapping lulled Chuck into a dreamy headspace. Raleigh, too, floated through his memories to the sound of the rain. Years of the triplets pulling Chuck out of his own head and into mischief flashed through his head. 

“I could have saved them. Striker was right there. Otachi just ripped them right out of the conn-pod. Dad and I stood there like idiots.”

“If Mako and I hadn’t rabbited, Gipsy would’ve been in the bay too. But it happened. And I didn’t know them but I’m pretty sure they’d be kicking your ass for this.”

“Yeah. They would, mate. For a lot of things.” Chuck felt his neck flush. 

Raleigh looked at him long and hard. “You didn’t do everything you were capable of doing, Chuck, but you did everything you thought possible at the time. Took me a long time to come to terms with that.”

“So, you think I should definitely suck it up and say yes.” 

“I do.”

“You also think I should apologize to Mako for saying the same thing?”

“Eh…she’s a big girl.”

“So I should definitely apologize before she kicks my ass.”

Raleigh just smiled enigmatically. “What else would the Weis be kicking your ass for, kid?”

“Well, they laid into me before the Double Event for insulting Mako. Jin was a bit sweet on her, yeah? If they knew how long it took for me to actually apologize to her then I’d be a splotch on the Kwoon floor. And, um, they would’ve hit me over the head by now for not going after what I wanted.” Chuck was blushing harder than he’d ever done in his life. 

Raleigh resisted the urge to push him. He’d accomplished his mission to fluster the younger man. He wanted Chuck thinking about him as much as possible. But he knew that if he pushed Chuck now, then he’d lose him later. Better to let the younger man stew on his own words, let his imagination run a bit wild. Raleigh was incredibly proud of himself for getting Chuck to admit to things. The game they were playing was fun and Raleigh was looking forward to winning. 

“You’re soaking wet you know.” Raleigh smirked. 

Chuck looked down. The rain and moisture in the air had completely saturated his t-shirt. His cargo pants and boots were starting to chafe from the dampness too, something his recently healed burns did not appreciate. 

“Come on, Chuck. Let’s get you to back to the dome. You’re gonna catch a cold.”

“Am not.” Chuck frowned. 

The younger Ranger allowed Raleigh to haul him up and tuck them both under the umbrella for the long trek down to the second Jumphawk pad. Chuck shivered a bit as they walked, realizing that wet clothing really wasn’t a good idea, despite the warm day. Raleigh made them walk faster in response. By the time they reached the second Jumphawk and lifted off, Chuck was a mess. 

The mild case of radiation poisoning he’d received during Pitfall left his immune system compromised. Raleigh had the pilots radio ahead and a nurse met them on the helipads, thermometer in hand. A quick triage had her bundling Chuck off to his quarters and orders to Raleigh to request soup from the mess.

When Raleigh made it to Chuck’s bunk, the pilot was wrapped in every blanket he could find and sipping on a steaming mug of tea in the center of his bed. He looked like a pile of laundry with a face. Max and Lucy were curled up on either side of him, slightly tucked under the blankets. 

“Verdict?”

“She said I don’t have a fever, but wants me to drink lots of hot tea and eat soup for a day or two. Left me some more vitamins too.” 

“Good thing I just left like eight quarts of soup in the fridge. Peg, the head cook, said you’re lucky she had your favorite on hand.”

“Bonzer, mate. She’s a good lady, that one. Bloody best English woman I’ve ever met.” 

“Right. Scooch over. I’ll put on a movie.”

Chuck and the dogs shuffled over while Raleigh pulled out Chuck’s laptop and put on some cheesy 80s action movie. The Aussie pilot had a vague memory of his dad insisting that the first two in the series were both Christmas movies to his unimpressed mother, courtesy of the drift. The older pilot climbed on the bed and unwrapped two of Chuck’s blankets to tuck himself in next to the other pilot. 

Their weeks in medical and Raleigh’s nightmares desensitized both of them to the weirdness of their cuddling. Everyone around them saw them throw an arm around the other or squeeze each other’s hands, even hug, and saw hearts. To them it was different, mostly different. Neither of them had anyone really touch them, other than their siblings or copilots, in years. Having each other to rely on to ground each other physically was a sign of the trust they’d spent two months building. Both rangers were adamantly distancing their other feelings from moments like this, though. They relied on each other too much to jeopardize it. At least not yet.

\------

As the two men huddled on Chuck’s bed, bickering about John McClane’s access to bullets, their copilots were crouched underneath the overhang of the conn tower on the Shatterdome’s roof. Leaning up against the concrete wall, the Rangers were both picking at a sleeve of Tim Tams that Charlotte snagged from her quarters on the way up. They’d been sitting in silence for the last hour and a half, watching ships in Victoria Harbour. Sensing her friend had relaxed enough to talk, Mako gently kicked Charlotte’s ankle. 

“Fine.”

Mako smiled. It was a look that Raleigh called smug, but she thought was confident. 

“I am jealous. You happy, Mako?”

“No.”

“What else do you need to know?”

“Why are you angry with Raleigh and Chuck?”

“I’m not.” Charlotte pouted.

“This is true, but you take anger out on them.”

“I am terrified. They both almost died.”

Mako narrowed her eyes at her friend. Diana Charlotte Hansen was slightly less emotionally constipated than her brother or father, but when her temper was up, any ability at self-reflection went out the window. 

“I am not your therapist, _Diana_.” Mako intoned. She was the only person on earth who called Charlotte by her first name. And she only did it nowadays when Charlotte was being incredibly obtuse. “I am your friend. I do not deserve diplomatic answers.”

Charlotte hummed in agreement and looked away. “I lost Raleigh to Knifehead and I still haven’t gotten him all back. He nearly died in a conn-pod, then in a med-bay. When Stacker told me what the higher-ups wanted, I panicked. Raleigh couldn’t handle anyone in his head and they weren’t going to allow him any time to heal. No medical leave, no reassignment, nothing. He was the only remaining half of the best Jaeger team in service and they wanted him back out there. Everyone though Knifehead was a fluke. Then Indra Gamma went down three weeks later to another Cat IV. Cherno held the perimeter wall, but everyone knew something was different. I packed Raleigh up with every bit of money and clothing I could find and pushed him out. I thought I was helping him.”

“But he attempted suicide. I saw this in the drift. He did not understand a world without Yancy.” Mako’s voice was gentle, but Charlotte still flinched at the mention of Yancy. 

“Yeah. I didn’t either. But I was already censured and under surveillance at Kodiak. I couldn’t go to him. And I couldn’t abandon my post with Chuck in Striker with Herc. I was nineteen. I was just a kid, and it really didn’t hit me that I’d never really gotten to be a kid til that moment. You don’t realize what you’ve lost as a soldier until you lose more.”

“No, you do not.” 

“I knew Raleigh was okay, was healing, so I set about doing what I did best. I fought this war with every fiber of my being. Turned every negative emotion onto fighting to keep the Jaegers and Rangers going. I never let myself really feel anything outside grief. I don’t think I’ve really laughed in years. Then Stacker comes up with this insane plan and benches me. Made me give up Raleigh’s location, too. He forced me to hold the line while he took my family on a suicide mission.

“You know if Chuck died during Pitfall, you never would have seen me again. I’d have skipped off to Tatiana’s and never looked back. You and Raleigh would be doing this all yourselves. I would have never gone near the PPDC again. Dad would’ve followed me too. We’ve both spent every single day of our lives since Scissure trying to keep the bastard alive. Somehow we’ve succeeded, but he turned into an arrogant little shit along the way.”

Mako let Charlotte sit in silence for a few moments. “Jacob is coming to Hong Kong.”

Charlotte blinked hard. Stacker Pentecost managed to keep his son out of the PPDC for his entire life. Jacob Pentecost was motivated as his father, at nineteen, he already had an impressive record. His father was incredibly proud of him, but their relationship had been strained at best, last she heard he wasn’t even speaking to the old man. 

“You okay with that?”

“Sensei expected it. He left us both communiques. He wished for Jacob to stand with me after he was gone. He never wanted either of us to die in a conn-pod. Until now, that was the most likely outcome.”

Charlotte nodded. “I see what you’re doing Mako.”

“Hmm?” 

“I’ve known Raleigh Becket for nearly ten years. I recognize his diversion techniques.”

“Did it work?” Mako smiled serenely. 

“Fuck you.”

“I love you too, Charlotte.”

They lapsed into silence again. Charlotte only let it go for a moment this time. “They’ve gotten along better than I ever hoped, you know. Chuck and Raleigh. The bloody dags bicker, but they obviously care about each other. And with all this shit goin’ on, I feel like they’ve replaced me. Raleigh coming back stirs up all sorts of nasty memories for me anyways. But it’s so good to have him back, yeah? And all I see is him and Chuck not needing me. One or both of them always has needed me, and now they have each other. So I’m bloody fucking jealous and its fucking ridiculous.” 

“Feel better?” 

“Yeah.”

“I understand. Without Sensei here, I have relied on Raleigh. And he relies on me, but he still turns to Chuck for most things. We have the drift to connect us, and the trust there. But they built their trust from anger and pain. You and I are their sisters. They wish to separate us from these feelings, protect us from their pain. Both of them recognize their similarities now and instead of fighting, they have bonded. It is frustrating being on the outside of that bond, yes?”

“That’d be right.”

“You are allowed to be jealous, Charlotte. But remember, we are their first line of defense and they ours. We are copilots, family. Whatever they share is not for us to judge.”

Charlotte narrowed her eyes at her friend. “So you’ve noticed the flirting, too, then?”

Mako’s face lit up in mischievous glee. “Oh, yes. I caught Raleigh pinning Chuck to the bed to force a Gipsy shirt on him two weeks ago. If they do not end up in bed together soon, I will be surprised.”

“They’ll really be insufferable then. You are completely welcome to abandon that suite and come down to bunk with Stella and me. Raleigh is loud during sex.”

“I know. He did not filter in the drift during Pitfall.” Mako blushed. 

“God, when I climbed into the pod with Chuck for the first time in Striker and realized he wasn’t a virgin. It nearly threw me out of alignment. Ugh.” Charlotte frowned at the memory. 

“Yes, well he complained loudly about seeing your partners as well. Especially Yancy.”

Charlotte went silent again. “I miss him. It hurts more now that Raleigh is here. I know he’s still ghosting with him.”

“He does. It is nothing like before though. Yancy is like an,” Mako paused to consider the right word in English. “Imprint in his head. I could hear him during the drift. Raleigh does not realize how much his brother is a part of him now. But whatever is left of Yancy stays away except when Raleigh feels too much.”

“But it isn’t really him?”

“No. It is not. Only an echo, a voice to comfort when Raleigh needs him.”

“Yance always said he’d never leave Raleigh.”

“You have not asked Raleigh this.” Mako stated instead of asking.

“No. We’re drift compatible. He’d offer to let me in and I don’t think I could handle watching the man I loved die like that. My imagination is bad enough, yeah?”

“I understand. Do you feel better now, Charlotte?”

“Of course I do, Mako.” 

The two women clambered to their feet, muscles protesting after too long in the same position. They descended back into the dome and found Herc with Stella in the mess hall. Herc was valiantly attempting to convince the four-year-old that Brussel sprouts were just fine with bacon, no matter what her Uncle Chuck said. The women joined them and Mako persuaded the little girl to try the vegetable. She ate all of her helping and Herc’s after that. The four enjoyed their dinner and were only distracted by the appearance of Raleigh and a decidedly rumpled Chuck. 

“Oi, what’s wrong with you, then?” Herc called out to his son. 

Chuck grimaced at the noise. “Got a cold.”

“That’s what you get for running off into the rain.” Charlotte snarked.

“Bite me, Charlie.”

“Don’t think you’d taste that great.”

“Shut it, both of ya.” Herc ordered. “Stella, ignore your mother and uncle, will ya? They are not as well-behaved as you are, love.”

“No worries, grandpa. Mummy says I’m a very good girl, much better than she is.” Stella smiled, all gap-toothed and adorable. 

“And Mummy is always right.” Charlotte grinned down at her little girl. 

“Except when Uncle Chuck is right, eh, Stella?”

Stella levelled her uncle with as stern a glare as the four-year-old could manage. “You were wrong about Brussel sprouts, Uncle Chuck. Mako and mummy and grandpa were right, they taste good with bacon.”

Raleigh reached across the table to high-five his copilot as Chuck spluttered. “That’s right kiddo, they are. Your Uncle Chuck is silly.”

Stella giggled. “He is silly. You are too. You’re extra silly together.”

Everyone at the table grinned slyly at the two Rangers. Trust the four-year-old to pick up on the unresolved sexual tension between the two pilots. Chuck was ignoring them though. 

“I am not _silly._ I do not do _silly._ ”

“You _are_ silly, Uncle Chuck. You make faces at Uncle Raleigh all the time. And you fight with him like Finn used to fight with me. Mummy said that was because Finn liked me.”

Herc looked down at the table and cleared his throat loudly to cover a laugh. Charlotte and Mako were leaning against each other on his right, convulsing in silent giggles. Raleigh looked at Stella like she’d just turned into a kaiju. Chuck gaped like a fish and vibrated with indignation. 

“Mummy says that’s because boys are stupid and don’t say what they mean.” Stella continued, oblivious to the adults around her. “And Mr. Tendo says that you didn’t like Uncle Raleigh but now you do. He says you’re both idiots.”

Chuck and Raleigh exchanged a glance. Tendo was sitting three tables away, with his wife and kid, smiling at them. He had no idea what was coming. 

“Is that right?” Chuck grinned evilly. 

“He said we were idiots?” Raleigh asked. 

“Uh huh.” Stella nodded firmly. 

Both men stood and kissed Stella on the head. They silently crossed to Tendo’s table and hauled the man off his bench. 

“Gonna borrow your hubby here for a bit o’ fun, Alison.” Chuck said as he stopped Tendo struggling. 

“Yeah. We’ll return him in one piece, I swear.” Raleigh smiled sweetly at the woman. 

“Eh, he could stand to lose a few pieces. I really only like one of them. By dear.” Alison called as the two Rangers frog-marched her husband off into the dome. Little Xiang avoided the spoon his mother was trying to feed him with and waved goodbye to his father.


	13. The High Road Is Hard To Find

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Originally posted 28 May 2017. Fully edited and Beta'd by 25 December 2017. Original Chapter note moved to the end. 
> 
> This chapter is rough. Please read the end notes.

\-----July 30, 2020----

**0535 HRS, The Kwoon, PPDC Jaeger Academy and Proving Grounds, Kodiak Island, Alaska**

The very pregnant Commander Charlotte Hansen surveyed her recruits. She’d joined the Academy after being censured back in March. Twelve recruits had made it past her and Quan from that class. Twelve men and women who were now manning six of the sixty-two Jaegers in active service. This recruit class had started with seventy people. A month in, only twenty-eight remained. Most of these men and women did not represent the best of the best. These were people drawn in by the lure of a steady paycheck and glory. Some of them were certainly worthy of being pilots, Charlotte’s eyes settled on Mako Mori. But in the four years since she’d come through the academy, Charlotte was not pleased to see the caliber of recruit who’d followed her. Almost none of these recruits really understood that the Kaiju were learning. 

Knifehead was not a fluke. Since then, two more Jaegers had fallen to targeted attacks on the conn-pods. Indra Gamma and Diablo Intercept had both gone down to Category IV Kaiju. Indra was piloted by rookies and Cherno took the kaiju down afterwards. Diablo, though, was piloted by veterans. Charlotte believed Julian and Angel, Matador Fury’s pilots and her longtime friends, when they said that the kaiju went straight for the conn-pods. It took the combined efforts of Diablo, Matador, and Puma Real to take the bastard down, just three weeks ago. 

The triple deployment in Ho Chi Minh, Chuck Hansen’s first outing in Striker, had been tough too. If Cherno and Crimson hadn’t been there or Striker not been so fast, Charlotte was sure she’d be the last Hansen left. 

Still studying her recruits from the center of the mats, Charlotte reflected on each of their profiles. Six, maybe seven, of them would make good pilots. But they would need a serious overhaul to survive against the kaiju. Mako was the sole member of the group with any real hope. The rest were mediocre at best. 

“Recruits.” She barked out. “Congratulations on making the second cut. Because you are all excited, today will be a fun day.”

Every recruit groaned. Commander Hansen’s ideas of fun were terrifying. The last fun day they’d had involved running laps of the island in the rain while she played Kylie Minogue and Savage Garden over the radio of her jeep. She’d even gotten out and easily outpaced them despite being eight months pregnant. 

“Each of you has a sim partner. You should be standing next to them.” Charlotte double checked the group. To pass the second cut, the recruits needed to have a successful simulated deployment with their drift partner. Most of them gravitated towards one another afterwards. Today was no exception. 

“Good. Now, those of you who were the left hemisphere in your sim step forward.” Fourteen men and women took a step towards her. “Look to your right, recruits. That person is your new sparring partner today. Pair up.” 

Twenty-eight people shuffled around, pairing all the dominant partners together would weed out a large portion. Charlotte watched each new pair interact, looking for those who were obviously uncomfortable. Mako Mori stood impassively at the edge of the group as always, her new sparring partner a little green around the gills looking at her. Charlotte hardly pulled her into these teaching moments, both to avoid the appearance of favoritism and to keep her on her toes.

“Diego, Martin, on the mats.” Charlotte stepped off as the two recruits took up positions with their bo-staffs. “Four points marks a win, gentlemen. Begin.”

Five hours later, twenty-eight recruits filed out of the Kwoon bruised and bloody. All of them dripped sweat into the locker room. Commander Quan, Chief Fightmaster and director of the academy watched stoically from the door. 

“You pushed them today.” 

“They are not the best, but I can make them better.”

“You are worried.” Quan stated evenly. 

“You aren’t?” Charlotte snapped back. 

“Dr. Marvelo called today. She is insisting you go on leave now. Your father and brother leave Sydney tomorrow. Take the rest of the day, Charlotte. I refuse to let you work yourself to exhaustion.”

“I’m fine.”

“You’re a pregnant Jaeger pilot. Your definition of fine is unreliable at best.” Quan stepped forward and put a hand on the young woman’s shoulder. “Take the rest of the day. Talk to your family.”

Charlotte didn’t answer him, shrugging instead, and stalking out of the Kwoon. The short trip to her quarters allowed her to calm the omnipresent rage vibrating under her skin. Five months of grief and pain, coupled with her pregnancy, left the young woman a shattered mess most days. Stacker knew what he was doing grounding her at Kodiak, though. The recruits he’d been provided over the last eighteen months had steadily decreased in quality. The Marshal was fond of saying that an angry Hansen got shit done, at least he was when he and Herc shared a beer. 

Unleashing Charlotte on two recruiting classes was a prime opportunity to weed out the mediocre pilots. They needed drift compatible recruits that registered higher than seventy-five percent if they were going to win this war. The loss of Indra Gamma proved that. The Pacific Defense Committee had already started building its useless wall. If another Jaeger fell, then the UN would begin pulling funding. Ian Staughton’s grubby little fingers would see to that. He had the UK ambassador in his pocket, probably the American one too. 

The ringing of her phone got her attention, pulling her from her increasingly negative thoughts. She glanced at the screen and jolted. The number came up as a hospital in Juneau. Raleigh was in Juneau, staying with a nice bloke named Gene who gave him odd jobs. She scrambled to answer the call. The face of an older man appeared on the screen. 

“Charlotte Hansen?”

“Yes.”

“Gene Williams. Your boy Raleigh’s been workin’ for me. He told me not to call you. I took that as a sign that I should definitely call you.”

“What’s going on?”

“He’s been in a bad place. Kept an eye on him, but not close enough. He tried to kill himself last night.” Charlotte collapsed onto her bed. Quan was right. She’d been pushing herself too hard. Faint twinges of pain rolled through her abdomen.

“I got to him in time. But he’s in the hospital. They’re keeping him here on a seventy-two-hour psych hold. I’m not gonna let him be alone. I know you can’t leave. And I’m telling you not to. Ms. Hansen, this boy has never been alone in his own head. These last few months have been hard, no doubt. But he’s suffering PTSD. You come down here and I’m not sure he won’t relapse. I’ll call you every single day, but if you can trust me, I’ll take care of him.”

Charlotte breathed hard. Her vision went fuzzy and she began to panic. Dr. Marvelo had fitted her out with a tracker on her wrist that fed her vitals to the Academy’s med-bay. The way her heart-rate was spiking, Charlotte knew nurses and doctors would be in her room in moments. 

“Do it. Send me all your info. But do it.” She gasped out.

“You okay Ms. Hansen?” Gene asked, his face completely marred with worry.

“No. I’m pregnant and having a panic attack. But medical is on its way. You need to take care of him. This baby is his niece. Please.”

“Yes ma’am.” Gene replied with military precision. 

The door to Charlotte’s quarters burst open. Two nurses and a doctor filed in and bundled her onto a stretcher. Charlotte hung up the call as she was triaged in the hall. She felt the contractions start in her abdomen. The stretcher rolled down the hallway towards the med-bay and all she could see was a hazy image of Raleigh covered in blood. 

\-----

Gene hung up the phone at the nurses’ station. He’d spent the last twelve hours outside Raleigh’s room and the nurses took pity on him and allowed him to use one of their vid-phones. He left his own phone at the house. Lying to the paramedics and getting himself in the ambulance with a barely conscious Raleigh Becket took up all his focus. Luckily, none of the doctors recognized the former Jaeger pilot. A couple of the nurses had, but they sagely turned their heads and let the former soldier stick around their patient. The appearance of a doctor on his left made the former Captain snap to. Gene looked at the younger man with cool scrutiny. 

“Mr. Williams, your nephew is conscious. You already know he’s on a psych hold, but I’m not comfortable sending him home in his current condition.”

“I understand, Doc. He’s had a rough go of it last few months. Lost his brother to a kaiju and nearly died himself.” Gene congratulated himself, the best lies had the foundation of truth. “I convinced him to stay with me, but his brother’s girlfriend is about to have her baby. I think the reminder that he won’t be here got to him. I know a counselor at the VA, I’m gonna get him help.”

“I’d like to meet this counselor Mr. Williams. Ray is going to need serious therapy.”

“He’s already on his way.” Gene responded. 

\-----Fourteen Hours Later-----

**Psychiatric Ward, Bartlett Regional Hospital, Juneau, Alaska**

Raleigh poked at the Jell-O he’d been provided with his dinner. Gene said they’d pumped three pints of blood into him in the hours since he’d been admitted. The straps holding his wrists to the bed had only been loosened once Gene’s buddy Steve arrived. The man was built like a Greek god but spoke to Raleigh with gentleness that didn’t match his physique. He was also much younger than Raleigh thought he’d be. 

Steve was currently whispering heatedly with Gene in the corner of the room. They were obviously arguing about Raleigh and Gene was definitely winning. Steve finally huffed and squared his shoulders. 

“Mr. Becket.”

“Sir.” Raleigh answered. The man’s tone reflected years of military service. Raleigh was programmed to respond in kind. 

“Raleigh.” Steve softened. “You know why Gene called me here?”

“You’re some sort of counselor. He’s mentioned you before.”

“I am. I work with veterans at the VA. But he called me, instead of someone else, because I know exactly who you are. My best friends are Jumphawk pilots with the PPDC. They’re on Lucky Seven’s crew. I know what happened with Knifehead and that you were declared AWOL five months ago.”

“Couldn’t stay.” Raleigh whispered. Steve nodded and continued.

“Diana Hansen is your contact. I’m aware. She’s been locked down on Kodiak Island, but you’ve kept in contact with her somehow. I need to know how your last conversation went if I’m going to help you.”

“What?”

“You’ve been through some of the worst trauma possible, Raleigh. I can help. I’m going to help. But you need to tell me what triggered this.” Steve gestured to the bandages wrapped up both Raleigh’s forearms. 

“She said the baby was due next week. A little girl. Yan…my brother always wanted a little girl. I felt him in my head again. All the excitement he felt about Charlotte’s baby. He’s never going to see that baby.” Raleigh babbled.

Gene walked over and squeezed the young man’s shoulder. Steve nodded. 

“Okay. Look, the doctors are going to keep you here for two more days. Can you promise us that you won’t give them any reason to keep you longer?”

“Yes. I spent a month in the med-bay after, well after the… I don’t want to be here any longer than necessary.” 

“Good. I know this hurts Raleigh, but we’re going to help you through this. You’ve still got a family you need to get back to when you’re ready.”

Raleigh looked away from the earnestness on Steve’s face. He didn’t quite believe that he had anyone left. There was no way Charlotte or Tendo, anyone really, could look at him and not want Yancy back. He’d lost his brother and he deserved all the blame they laid on him. 

The next three days were nothing compared to the pain he’d felt since Knifehead. He followed doctor’s orders and went through the mandatory therapy sessions, not once believing he had anything left to live for. The day he got out, August 2nd, Gene drove him to the VA for his first session with Steve. Before they walked in, Gene handed him a picture. 

“Her name is Stella. Ms. Hansen sent that yesterday. Says she’s perfectly healthy. Also told me to tell you that you are family, no matter what. She said she’ll hold the line for as long as she can, but you need to heal and come back only if you’re ready. The rest was confusing. That girl’s accent is terrible when she’s exhausted.”

Raleigh grinned and traced the outline of baby Stella’s face with his thumb. Yancy’s voice echoed in his head, ‘Live for her, kid. Fight for her.’

He sighed and squared his shoulders. He could do that. He could live.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, so look. I've mentioned it before in the story, but this chapter will deal with the immediate fallout of Raleigh's suicide attempt. 
> 
> I do not bring this subject up lightly. I've lost several people in my life to suicide. Having the right support network after an attempt has even saved a couple of my friends' lives. I tried to give Raleigh someone to lean on like my friends had. The hard truth is also that sometimes the least helpful people to lean on in times like this are your family. Charlotte is the only family Raleigh has left other than Tendo, in this story. In real life these things happen in a variety of ways. 
> 
> I'm writing this note, essentially, to remind you all that it can and does get better. There are always people around to help you if need them. Hell, message me if you're feeling that down. Nothing is worth your life. Nothing. 
> 
> So, read this chapter carefully. I don't spend too much time on the issue, the point is that Raleigh got this low and then made the decision to live after all. Spending time with the details in this case is unnecessary and, well, insulting. I'm not here to glorify suicide. I'm writing a story with a main character who suffered some incredibly serious trauma. 
> 
> And that's all I can think to say. This is hard.


	14. I've Been Roaming Around, Always Looking Down At All I See

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Originally posted 30 May 2017. Fully edited and Beta'd by 25 December 2017.
> 
> So, that last chapter was a bit rough. Have a bit of fluff now to cleanse the palate. In this chapter: Jaegers, fighting between old friends, grumpy Chuck, annoyed Herc and Mako, and kissing. 
> 
> Also, Mako is a gem and in my head she takes on a lot of Raleigh's shit-eating grins and her own confidence is boosted immensely by drifting with him. Not that she wasn't capable of these things before, but the woman we see in the movie is a highly capable soldier hemmed in by her own emotional trauma. She's begun to heal after the Breach closed, and Raleigh brings out the best and worst in her.

\-----April 12, 2025----

**0100 HRS, Jaeger Bay, Hong Kong Shatterdome**

Raleigh Becket looked down from his perch on the catwalks in the Jaeger bay. With four crews and the return of nearly a hundred J-Techs, the construction of Yarilo Victor was pushing along faster than anticipated. Tendo thought the new Mark VI would be completed by the end of May. The hybrid nuclear/digital Jaeger towered over the bay, its imposing figure a perfect complement to the Russians who would pilot it. 

Even now, in the middle of the night, there were crews at work putting the Jaeger together. Lucy popped her head up from Raleigh’s lap and looked into the hall behind him. He twisted his body and found Charlotte Hansen walking towards him, exhaustion written all over her face. She didn’t say anything when she reached him, just plopped down next to him and let their legs dangle together over the edge of the catwalk. Lucy accepted a belly rub then laid her head back in Raleigh’s lap. 

“Three months.”

“Hmm?”

“Been three months since Pitfall.” Charlotte elaborated. 

“Yeah. Doesn’t seem real.”

“No it doesn’t. Couldn’t sleep?”

“Nah.”

“Chuck and Mako?”

“Dead to the world. Max didn’t even flinch when I left my room.”

“How’s the suite working out?” 

“What are you really asking, Lotte?”

Charlotte kept her gaze firmly locked on the Jaeger in front of her. “Just want to know how you and my brother are getting along, is all, mate.”

“Well that’s only half of the truth.” Raleigh responded sarcastically.

“I hate you.”

“Same here, kid.”

Charlotte huffed. She hated that Raleigh knew her so well sometimes. “He’s falling for you. Not sure I like that.”

Raleigh grit his teeth, jaw locking up. “Don’t know what you want to hear, Lotte.”

“Don’t want to hear anything, Rals. He’s my brother. I worry. You’re my friend. I worry about you too. Then there’s all the irrational fear and rage I have left over from, well, you know…I just want to be sure that the two of you are okay. So I worry and then I get jealous of how well you work together.”

“Is this the shovel talk?”

“A bit, yeah. Herc won’t give you one. He’ll give it to Chuck, instead. Doesn’t trust him not to fuck this up.”

“So, you’re telling me that you’re okay with this.”

“Not really, no.”

“And if I said, ‘fuck you’ and kept at him anyways?”

“Not gonna stop you, mate.”

“Then, fuck you, Lotte.”

“Kwoon at 1400?”

“I’ll be there.”

Raleigh stood and marched off back to his bunk. Charlotte stayed on the catwalk for another hour before returning to her own. 

\-----

Morning greeted both Rangers a few hours later. Neither said anything to anyone about their grudge match. Raleigh worked with Chuck and Quan on formulating training schedules until 11:45 then he and Chuck left Quan and went to work on overseeing the conn-pod layouts of their respective new Jaegers. The two pilots joined Mako for lunch at 13:00. 

Charlotte’s morning was spent wrangling a grumpy Stella into clothing and lessons. Then she met her father to organize their upcoming trip to New York for the upcoming UN General Assembly. The two Hansens broke for lunch at 13:15, joining Mako, Raleigh, and Chuck. 

“Oi, what’s up with you two.” Chuck asked, glaring between Raleigh and his sister. 

“Nothing.” They both answered. 

“Charlie.” Chuck bit out.

“Raleigh.” Mako and Herc said, simultaneously. 

Neither pilot responded, choosing instead to appear incredibly interested in their lunch trays. 

“Fine.” Chuck broke their silence. “Don’t tell us.”

The bell tolled for 1400 shift change. Raleigh and Charlotte both stood, to the confusion of the rest of the group, and walked together out of the mess. Herc sighed. 

“Shit. They’re headed to the Kwoon.”

“What? Why?” Chuck asked. 

“Mako, you’d better go. I’ll handle things today.” Herc said, ignoring his son. 

“Would your presence not be preferential, Marshal?” Mako asked.

“No. They won’t listen to me on this. Take Chuck with you. He can handle Charlie.”

“Yes, sir. Come on Chuck-kun.” Mako said, rising from the table. 

“What the bloody fuck is going on?” Chuck asked again once he caught up to Mako in the hall. 

“You will see.” Mako answered cryptically. Chuck growled. 

\-----

A small crowd of personnel crowded the walls of the Kwoon as Raleigh and Charlotte stretched. The four people who’d been utilizing the space when they arrived had quickly informed at least two dozen people. All of them were now eagerly watching the Vice-Marshal and Ranger warm up for a big fight. 

Chuck and Mako pushed through the crowd just as their copilots took up position on the mats, bo staffs in fight positions. Mako caught each of their eyes and backed off. Chuck, still confused, stepped back as well when Mako tugged on his sleeve. Raleigh and Charlotte, both stripped down to their tanks and barefoot, squared off. 

“First to five?” Charlotte asked coolly. Chuck flinched. She only ever used that tone when someone was about to suffer an ass-kicking. 

“Sure.” Raleigh answered, just as casually. “Don’t hold back.”

“I don’t dial down my moves for anyone, Becket.”

Raleigh smirked and then swung his staff hard towards Charlotte’s left knee. The crack of her own staff blocking the attack resounded in the Kwoon. The crowd chattered excitedly. 

Charlotte swung her staff around, forcing Raleigh to follow, and spun backwards. She lunged forward and stabbed the end of her staff into Raleigh’s gut. He grunted but parried the blow and landed his own across the top of her left shoulder. 

Mako flinched at the look on her friends’ faces. They were out for blood. She wrapped a hand around Chuck’s wrist, holding him in place. 

Raleigh and Charlotte were oblivious to this though. They both settled down and assessed their pain. Locking eyes again, the two reset into attack stances. The flurry of blows that followed was too quick for most of the crowd to follow. 

The sound of staffs cracking against each other became the only noise in the room. The pilots by dint of their long relationship anticipated most of the other’s moves. However, their respective emotional instability overrode their skill. Raleigh received a blow to his left arm that began bruising immediately. Charlotte mistimed a parry and caught Raleigh’s elbow across her face, splitting her lip. She retaliated with a quick jab to his knees that dropped him. He swung up and blocked her, bo staff aimed for her hands. The sound of Charlotte’s staff clattering off the edge of the mats stopped both fighters for a moment. 

“Four-Three.” Raleigh said, his staff inches from Charlotte’s face. 

The woman smirked. Raleigh had no time to counter as she barreled into him. His own staff flew off into the crowd. “Four-Four.” Charlotte growled, pinning the other Ranger to the mats. 

Raleigh squirmed under her. Realizing he wasn’t going to break her hold, he went slack. The move startled Charlotte enough that he tossed her off his chest. She executed a back handspring to keep from landing hard. Raleigh leapt up and settled into a boxing stance. Charlotte smirked. She flew at him, dodging his right hook and landing several blows across his body. He caught her in a headlock and flipped her over his shoulder. 

She landed hard on her back, the breath knocked out of her, and managed to kick Raleigh in the face before he could pin her. He grabbed her ankle and kept her from getting to her feet and the two wrestled on the mats. They threw elbows and knees into sensitive areas until Raleigh finally pinned Charlotte facedown, her arms twisted up behind her. 

“Five-Four. I win.” Raleigh said, panting. 

Charlotte growled and made to break the hold. She dislodged Raleigh and made it to her feet, but Chuck was suddenly between them blocking her. Mako was similarly engaged with Raleigh. 

“Charlie!” Chuck shouted, grabbing his sister’s wrists. “Drop it.”

Mako placed a hand on Raleigh’s cheek, pulling him out of his defensive stance. Charlotte relaxed. She still looked angry, but no longer homicidal. 

“Alright, Becket. We’re good.” She finally said, still breathing hard. 

“Yeah?”

“Yeah, mate.”

Raleigh grinned and walked over to hug his best friend. She returned the hug and the crowd dispersed. Whatever the two pilots were fighting over would stay between them. The fight had been entertaining at least. Mako and Chuck let their copilots hug it out for several moments before Chuck finally broke. 

“Oi, what the fuck was that about?”

“Nothing.” Both pilots responded. 

“That was not nothing.” Chuck bit back. 

“Don’t worry about it, Chuck.” Raleigh said calmly. He looked into the other man’s eyes until Chuck huffed and turned to leave. 

“Fine. Don’t tell me. I’ll see it in the drift eventually. No secrets, Charlie!” Chuck called as he stomped off into the hallway. 

“He is right, you know.” Mako said. “He will see this.”

“Not worried about it Mako.” Charlotte answered, tenderly pressing at her split lip. 

“Hmm. Is this settled then?”

“Yes, it is.” Raleigh answered, looking hard at Charlotte.

“Yeah. Still don’t like it, but I’ll deal. I trust Raleigh enough to give him an open shot.”

“Would’ve taken it anyway.”

“Yeah well, this way you don’t have to fight Herc.”

Raleigh blanched. He had no doubt that the Marshal would have wiped the floor with him. No one remained half of the best Jaeger team in the world at forty-five years old without being utterly vicious in a fight. 

“Don’t be sure of that, Charlie.” The man in question spoke from the doorway. 

Herc surveyed the bruised and bleeding pilots before him. Mako inclined her head and gracefully exited the Kwoon, leaving her copilot to his fate. 

“You let him win?” Herc asked his daughter. 

“Never.” She snapped. 

“Good.” Herc responded, ignoring the tone. “He’s a handful, Ranger. You prepared for that?”

“Not really, no.” Raleigh answered, feeling like a cornered animal. 

“No worries, mate. I’m not gonna start round two here. He won’t make this easy on you, is all.”

“Does he make anything easy?” Raleigh said before he could stop himself. 

\-----

Chuck stalked off to his room. Mako entered her own a few minutes later. She crossed the common area to Chuck’s door and knocked gently. The Aussie flung the door open, obviously expecting her copilot, and deflated when he realized it was Mako. 

“What?” He ground out. 

“That fight was not because of you.”

“Don’t give me that shit, Mako.”

“Well, it was not only because of you. They have been apart for five years, Chuck. There is a lot of lingering emotion there. You are the one thing they share now. Of course they will fight over you. But it is really a fight with each other about their fear and pain.”

“Raleigh fits right in, you know. Hansens aren’t really the talking type.”

“We talk.” Mako said, gesturing between the two of them.

“We fight more, Mako. You know it.”

“If we do not hit each other, I think of it as talking.” Mako grinned. 

Chuck huffed out a laugh before tensing up again. “What do ya reckon this fight was about?”

“I am not sure I should say. Raleigh does not hide things in the drift.” The doctors ran them through the sim two weeks prior to make sure there were no lingering effects from Raleigh’s second solo drift. 

“Come on, mate. Give me something.”

Mako studied her friend as he leaned against his doorframe. Chuck was possibly her oldest friend, if she did not count her adopted brother. But Raleigh was her copilot, the other half of her soul. She knew his plans, knew what he wanted. She also knew he played the long game. Chuck never did. Perhaps she could nudge them along. 

“Charlotte gave Raleigh the ‘shovel talk,’ it did not go well. So they settled it in the Kwoon.”

Chuck gaped. He made to respond, but Raleigh entered his room, distracting both of the other pilots. Unaware he’d left his door to the common area open and that the other pilots could see him, he stripped down to his boxers and waltzed into his bathroom. The sound of the shower kicking on startled both Chuck and Mako. 

“ _Bozhe Moy_.” Chuck gasped. Mako giggled and shook her head. “He took on my sister over the fucking shovel talk. What should I do, Mako?”

She placed a gentle hand on Chuck’s face. “Whatever you think is necessary. I think you are good for each other. You provide one another balance.”

Chuck leaned into his friend’s touch, grasping her hand. “Thanks, Mako. Means a lot.”

“I know. This is why I am your best friend.”

Raleigh sauntered back into his bedroom, wrapped in a towel and caught sight of Chuck and Mako’s moment. They were whispering to each other and he tried not to feel jealous. The utter contentment filtering across the ghost drift from Mako helped that. He watched his copilot hug the larger Ranger, managing to make him seem so much smaller in comparison. When they broke apart he quickly shifted to putting his clothes on, wary of the bruising covering his body. 

As he managed to slip a tank over his head he sensed a presence. Chuck stood in his doorway, assessing him. The ginger looked irate, tension radiating from his body. Raleigh stared at him a moment, trying to figure out exactly how pissed off Chuck was. 

“What’s up?” He finally asked. 

“You and my sister are bloody fucking idiots that’s what.” Chuck answered reaching to grip the top of the doorframe. The movement stretched his whole body and Raleigh resisted the urge to trace the lines of muscle with his tongue. Instead he locked his eyes on Chuck’s face. 

“We were sparring.”

“That wasn’t a friendly match in the Kwoon, mate. That was anger, pure and simple.”

“So what.”

“So, you two are bloody best friends. What were you fighting about?” Raleigh went to answer but Chuck cut him off, stepping into his room and poking him in the chest. “Don’t you dare say ‘nothing,’ either. That’s bullshit, Ray.”

“The two of us have a lot to sort out. Some of that is gonna happen with punching.”

“So you’re saying it’s okay for you two to duke it out, but not us?”

Raleigh sighed. The kid successfully backed him into a corner there. He dropped down onto his bed and let Chuck loom over him. 

“She and I throw punches to solve problems. Last time you and I threw punches we weren’t looking for anything but to hurt each other. Lotte and I don’t fight like that. It’s always a contest to see who will win the argument. We’re drift compatible, any hits we land aren’t going to be lucky. It’s all about fixing the issue.”

Chuck reached down and gingerly poked at the edge of Raleigh’s rapidly forming black eye. “And this fixes things. Huh. People think I’m the emotionally constipated one around here. You two take the rooting cake.”

Raleigh caught his wrist, looking up at the other man. “Never said it was smart. Just said it was how we operate. Should’ve seen the fights Yance and I got into.”

“Heard you trashed a bar once.”

“That we did.” Raleigh traced his thumb along the veins on Chuck’s wrist. 

Chuck looked down at Raleigh and froze. The man was bruised and bloodied, but he still looked at Chuck like he would jump him any second. Raleigh watched the younger man tense up, still tracing patterns on his wrist. He gently tugged Chuck closer, letting him stand between his knees. 

Suddenly Yancy’s voice popped in his head. “Go for it, Raleigh.”

Never one to challenge his brother’s _good_ advice, Raleigh leaned back on his bed. Chuck followed him down, knees planting firmly on either side of Raleigh’s hips. The older Ranger fisted Chuck’s t-shirt and pulled him down further, forcing him to plant his hands on either side of Raleigh’s head. 

They stared at each other for an eternity before Raleigh twitched an eyebrow and licked his lips. The simple motion spurred Chuck into action and he closed the distance between them. Both kept their eyes open for that first brush of their lips, then Raleigh closed his and fisted a hand in Chuck’s hair. He angled the younger man’s head and kissed him properly, tongue teasing Chuck’s lips, seeking entrance. 

Chuck groaned, the sound reverberating in both his chest and Raleigh’s, and opened up. Three months they’d been building to this. Three months of fighting and sniping at each other. Three months putting aside their painful histories to become friends, to trust each other. All for this. Both of them relaxed into each other, languid and happy. Hands wandered, gripping at arms, hair, chests, and asses. But neither of them picked up the pace. 

They pulled and rolled each other, gasping when the friction between them became too much. Raleigh lost himself to Chuck’s slightly chapped lips and broad shoulders. Chuck pulled Raleigh on top of him and let the other man pin him to the mattress. Raleigh obliged until the sound of a throat clearing broke them apart. 

Chuck never closed Raleigh’s door. Mako stood there, face completely impassive. Raleigh grinned manically at his copilot while Chuck flushed and dropped his head back to cover his face with his arm. The copilots stared at one another for a long moment, Raleigh still straddling Chuck on his bed, before Mako broke down. 

“Fucking finally.”

Raleigh barked out a laugh as Chuck’s head shot up to look at his friend. He didn’t think he’d ever hear the day when Mako Mori cursed. Maybe Raleigh was rubbing off on her. That thought led to thoughts about Raleigh rubbing off on him, and in their current position that would make things, well, interesting. Chuck pushed Raleigh off him and sat up, arms splayed out behind him. 

“What did you say?” He asked. 

“I said, ‘fucking finally.’” Mako repeated looking incredibly smug. “I have waited months for this to happen.”

“You’re not breathing a word of this to anyone, Mako.” Raleigh said sternly. Chuck whipped his head around to look at the bloke. “I know about the bet. I’ll make sure you never collect if you say anything. This is between Chuck and me. I’m not having the whole dome involved.”

Chuck frowned. “Bet?”

“Yeah. Heard Newt talking about it. Apparently one of our nurses started a pool to see how long it would take for us to hook up.”

“There are three separate lines. One for angry hate sex, one for a relationship, and one where you have sex and then ignore each other. I put my money on a relationship.” Mako gleefully explained. 

Chuck glowered at her before turning on Raleigh. “And you didn’t tell me, mate?” 

“And risk you punching your way through half the dome’s staff?” Raleigh snarked. 

“Seriously?” The Australian rounded on Mako. “How much money are you set to win?”

“Five thousand dollars. I bet you would end up in a relationship by the time we left for the UN.” Mako said, grinning like a shark. Chuck wasn’t sure he liked this new, relaxed Mako. She was terrifying in a whole new set of ways.

“Fuck me. What do we have to do to get you to win?” 

“I must have proof that you’re in a relationship by the first day of the UN General Assembly.”

Raleigh looked back and forth between the other two. He couldn’t believe he was hearing this. “You guys are ridiculous. I’m not going to play along so Mako can win a bet.”

“The fuck you are, mate. Mako wins and we get a share.” He looked at her for a nod of confirmation, which she happily gave. “This way none of the creepy fuckers win any money off us.”

“Not exactly how I wanted this to go.” Raleigh said, looking away and frowning. 

Chuck jerked his head for Mako to leave, which she did pulling the door closed on the way. He reached up and grabbed Raleigh’s jaw in a firm grip, turning his face back to look at Chuck. 

“You’re upset.”

“No shit, Sherlock.”

“Why?”

Raleigh gulped and darted his eyes away from Chuck’s green ones currently boring a hole in his skull. “Fuck. I don’t know how to do this.”

“Do what, mate?”

“This.” Raleigh said, gesturing between them. “Never really cared before.”

Chuck blushed and cleared his throat. “Me neither. We’ll figure it out together, yeah?”

“Part of that mean we’re gonna troll the whole dome for the next week?”

“Fuck yes it does. Those bastards think they can get one past us. Nope. We’re gonna show them how it’s done. Mako will be the only one that knows until we’re damned well ready.”

“I can live with that.” Raleigh said, nudging the other pilot backwards. 

Chuck grinned, both dimples appearing, and happily resumed kissing the bloke.


	15. And You Might Feel Invincible, And You Might Be Afraid

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Originally posted 31 May 2017. Fully edited and Beta'd by 25 December 2017. (I liked the original chapter note so much I'm gonna keep it. Made myself laugh.)
> 
> Here we are again. Another smut warning. I feel ridiculous putting these in. 
> 
> But hey you guys are reading a Chuck and Raleigh story....guess what. 
> 
> Yep. That's right. 
> 
> Quit smiling. No. Really. Quit it. I can see your face now. Stop it. I worked hard on this scene to be emotional and not PWP. 
> 
> Screw it. Smile. They're ridiculous. 
> 
> Not your cup of tea? Then after Chuck tells his dad goodnight, just stop reading. The chapter is now over for you. You'll have to wait for the next one.

\-----April 20, 2025-----

**2135 HRS, The Mark Hotel, 77th and Madison Avenue, New York City, New York, USA**

The two SUVs carrying all three adult Hansens, Mako Mori, and Raleigh Becket arrived at the Mark Hotel after a grueling sixteen-hour flight for all five Rangers. Normally, they would have arranged for their own transport, but with the coup they planned to enact this week, civilian flights were necessary. And even though no one announced when they’d be travelling to New York, the press still waited on the sidewalks for them. The PPDC security personnel exited first, clearing a path between the paparazzi. Herc exited the cars first, followed shortly by Chuck and Raleigh. Out of the other car, Charlotte and Mako followed. 

The Rangers were flanked by terrifying bodyguards. Most of the paparazzi not already moving away from the regular security took an extra step back. It didn’t stop them from shouting though. 

_“Ranger Mori, what did you feel when Marshal Pentecost detonated the bomb?”_   
_“Ranger Hansen, how are your injuries after Pitfall!”_   
_“Why did you come back after five years, Ranger Becket.”_   
_“Vice-Marshal, what do you have to say about the rumors you’re involved with Ranger Becket?”_   
_“Marshal! How did it feel to send your son to the Breach?”_

To the exhausted, jet-lagged Rangers the questions squeezed every trigger they had. Raleigh placed a hand in the center of Mako and Chuck’s backs and pushed them towards the lobby. Herc, not so subtly, pulled a seething Charlotte behind them. The concierge opened the doors and managed to keep all of the paparazzi out. The Rangers’ bodyguards took up positions, circling the group, while the rest of the personnel took up residence around the hotel’s perimeter. A second concierge pressed room keys into the Marshal’s hands and directed the group to the lift. 

Herc grumbled out a thank you and pushed his Rangers into the elevator. Tatiana Grigorovich had booked them in the Mark Signature Suite. Herc was valiantly ignoring that his son and Raleigh Becket intended to share a room. Mako looked nothing but smug as the two men propped each other up in the corner of the elevator. She’d collected her winnings from the Kaidonovskys, who’d taken over running all the various betting pools in the dome, two hours before they’d left for the airport. Apparently Raleigh and Chuck were caught by a very put out nurse snogging in the hallway, then been spotted holding hands later that day. 

Mako caught the Marshal’s eye and smiled widely. She seemed to be in perfect approval of this relationship. Charlotte, on the other hand, was watching her brother and Raleigh like a hawk. She’d given Raleigh an open shot at her brother, but it didn’t mean she was happy about it. Herc remained ambivalent. He knew the two bloody clownshoes could be good for each other, he just wasn’t sure how he felt about anyone dating his children. Neither of them had a good track record with romance.

The elevator dinged its arrival. All five occupants swore quietly as the door opened. The sight of the suite’s living room stunned them into silence. 

“Fucking hell, Tatiana.” Charlotte finally gasped. 

“She certainly outdid herself.” Mako stated simply. 

“Don’t think I’ve ever stayed anywhere this nice.” Raleigh said. 

Chuck remained uncharacteristically quiet, though he had an unnerving smile on his face. Herc tried not to read too much into the feelings coming across the ghost drift. He really didn’t want to know. 

“Right, this room is ace. Explore it in the morning. Go get some sleep Rangers. Tomorrow starts early for us.” The Marshal ordered. 

Collecting their backpacks and duffels from where they’d been dropped, all four Rangers trailed out of the room to find a bed. Herc waited until he heard three doors close before pulling his phone out. He slipped into a secluded corner and collapsed into a chair. He pulled up the last number called and pressed the icon to call it again. The holo-screen opened up and Tatiana Grigorovich’s face appeared before him. 

“Hercules! Good evening. I see you’ve arrived at the hotel. I trust it is acceptable.”

“You’re spoiling us, _Tanechka.”_

“You deserve it, _Gerakl._ ” Tatiana responded, a real smile gracing her features. “Are the children asleep?”

“I think so. You knew about Raleigh and Chuck didn’t you?”

“Anyone with eyes saw where that was headed, _golubushka.”_

“Not sure I like it.”

“That is exactly what your daughter said to me two weeks ago.”

“She’s too much like me.”

“This is very true.” Tatiana studied the man on her own holo-screen from the Russian consulate. “Ask yourself this, ‘does this man make him happy?’”

“He does.”

“Then let them be.” She ordered. Herc narrowed his eyes at her. Both of them knew he had a thing for his partners ordering him about. A fact that never failed to embarrass his kids in the drift. “Go to bed, Hercules. I will be there bright and early.”

“Not sure why you can’t come over now.” He asked gruffly, a teasing smile on his face. 

“Because your children are not ready for that.”

“I am.”

Even through the blue of the holo-screen, Herc could see Tatiana blushing. She cleared her throat and smiled serenely at him. 

“You are a wicked man, Hercules Hansen. Go to sleep. We will continue this discussion later.”

Tatiana hung up before the Australian could protest. Herc dropped his head back against the top of the chair and sighed. A small noise caught his attention and he turned to see Chuck standing in the doorway. 

“You and Tatiana, huh?” His son asked. 

“Is that a problem?” Herc growled. 

“Nah. Been a long time since you cared about anyone. Figure you deserve to be happy too.” Chuck answered. Herc was impressed. Before Pitfall, his son probably would have thrown a fit at this revelation. 

“Thank you. That, um, that means a lot, Chuck.” He finally stammered out. Just because he was impressed didn’t mean he knew how to react. 

“Good on ya, dad. I like her.”

“Hope your sister feels the same.”

“Strewth, Charlotte might flip her shit, probably won’t. But she’ll get over it if she does. She loves Tatiana. ‘Sides, if I don’t complain, she can’t do a fuckin’ thing.” Chuck responded, ducking the fact that his sister knew all about their father’s relationship. She’d told Chuck about it three months before Pitfall. He hadn’t believed it until the next time they drifted and he caught a momentary glimpse of Tatiana before his father tucked it away. 

Herc grinned at his boy. Both his kids had grown up much too fast, but the man in front of him now was not the horrible little shit he’d dealt with before Pitfall. He was maturing. He was happy. Herc was proud. 

“Come here you little fucker.” Herc called and stood up from the couch. He hugged his son tight and clapped him on the back. They broke apart and Herc clasped Chuck’s neck touching their foreheads together. Chuck fought the urge to choke up at the affection. He and his father didn’t do shit like this. Herc finally let go of him and pushed him back towards the kitchen. 

“Go to bed. I’ll see ya in the morning, yeah?”

“Yeah, dad. Night.”

“G’night.” Herc responded. “Oh and Chuck? He’s a good bloke, good for ya, too.”

Chuck’s ears turned bright red but he managed to nod his head. “Yeah. Um. Night, dad.”

The younger Hansen retreated back into the bedroom where he’d left Raleigh exploring. The man in question was currently unpacking his suitcase, hanging his dress blues in the closet. Chuck couldn’t help it. He had to comment. 

“Looking forward to peeling you out of those, mate.”

Raleigh turned slightly, smirking. He continued smoothing the uniform jacket, but otherwise ignored Chuck. The younger Ranger flopped down on the bed and watched Raleigh fastidiously unpack everything he’d brought with them. When he disappeared into the bathroom, leaving the door open, Chuck closed his eyes and started drifting off. He was awakened by Raleigh climbing into his lap. The blond was naked, except for a towel, and Chuck was suddenly very much awake. 

“Um. Hello.” Chuck said, sitting up.

“Hi.” The towel slipped off Raleigh’s waist, pooling in their laps. 

“We were ordered to get some sleep. Jet lag is a bitch, Ray.” The Australian said after a long moment. His hands slipped to Raleigh’s waist. 

“We can sleep after.” Raleigh responded, pushing Chuck back onto the mattress. He didn’t give the other pilot any chance to disagree as he kissed him, rough and needy. Raleigh didn’t hold anything back. Chuck countered eagerly.

Chuck managed to roll them, pinning Raleigh to the mattress with his arms held down on either side of his head. Raleigh rolled his hips up, earning a muffled grunt from Chuck as he dropped his head down to Raleigh’s shoulder. He could easily break the hold the younger man had him in, he just wasn’t all that interested. They’d both learned pretty quickly that they loved to wrestle for control and a bit of teasing made things that much better. 

“You’re a bloody menace, mate.” Chuck ground out as Raleigh continued rubbing against him. 

“And you’re not getting with the program.” 

“Maybe I’m not all that keen on my father and sister being just across the hall.”

“Please. You’ve all drifted together for years, nothing they haven’t seen or heard before.” Raleigh responded, completely unrepentant. 

“You’re disgusting.”

“You love it.” 

Raleigh squeezed his thighs and flipped them again. Chuck squawked and Raleigh used the surprise to tear the other man’s t-shirt off, the sound of the cotton ripping loud in the suddenly silent room. The open-mouthed look of pure lust he got in response was worth any bitching he heard later about ruining one of Chuck’s beloved grey shirts. Raleigh smirked and latched onto Chuck’s nipple with his teeth.

The younger man groaned loudly and Raleigh took the initiative to let go of Chuck’s arms and allow his hands to wander. Both of them had extensive scarring from the feedback in the drivesuits and it left the skin sensitive around the edges. Raleigh’s fingers traced the scarring along Chuck’s abdomen and right shoulder, where the newest scars were, eliciting all sorts of delightful sounds. 

Not to be outdone, Chuck immediately set to working his hands between their bodies, teasing Raleigh by touching him everywhere except where he wanted him. Just as they both began to get flustered and out of breath, Chuck pulled back and looked seriously at the man in his lap. 

“This isn’t just a quick fuck for you is it, mate?” He was proud of himself for not sounding as vulnerable as he felt with that question. 

“Three months, Chuck.” Raleigh said, breathing hard but entirely focused on Chuck’s eyes. 

“Hmm?”

“Three months we danced around each other. Four now if you count the weeks where you hated my guts before Pitfall.”

“Still.” 

“Fuck you, man. I had quick and meaningless before Knifehead. I had desperate on the Wall because I was so torn up I needed to feel _something._ This,” Raleigh leaned down until he was sharing air with the heavily breathing Chuck. “This is not meaningless. Fuck, at this point I’m fairly sure I’m half in love with you.”

Chuck gulped and stared hard into Raleigh’s eyes. The memories he shared with Charlotte and her grief over Yancy flicked through his head. His own memories of never feeling like anything but a conquest to most of his previous partners followed quickly behind. Then he realized that Raleigh was the same. Both had spent their time operating giant robots, living in their families’ heads, rather than learning how to care about other people. The Australian licked his lips and sucked in a breath. He’d had Raleigh before tonight, but right now, well _this_ was what Chuck missed out on as a sixteen-year-old Jaeger pilot. He’d missed the opportunity to lose himself to another person, to trust them with his heart. 

He refused to miss out on anything else. 

“Well,” he whispered, voice too wrecked for anything else. “I think I am definitely more than half in love with you, mate.”

That seemed to short circuit Raleigh’s brain for several long seconds before the older man dove in for a punishing kiss. He made quick work of Chuck’s pants, tossing them and his boxers over the side of the bed, and slotted himself between Chuck’s thighs. A quick reach above his head and he had the bottle of lube he’d stashed there earlier. Chuck laughed into the next kiss, wrapping both his hands around Raleigh’s face. 

“Shut up.” Raleigh growled. 

Chuck quirked an eyebrow in response. “You gonna make me, mate?” He growled out, trailing a hand down Raleigh’s chest and thumbing the head of his dick. 

The older man didn’t respond. Instead he shifted to look down at Chuck, hands bracketed on either side of his head. Chuck kept up his teasing touches, taking both of them in hand and slowly stroking. Raleigh was breathing hard, but otherwise totally engrossed in watching Chuck’s face. 

“We’re really doing this?” Raleigh asked breathlessly. 

“Don’t see anyone else here, mate.” Chuck kept stroking them both. 

Raleigh closed his eyes and exhaled slowly. “Haven’t done this before.”

Chuck grinned maniacally at the other man, recognizing the statement for what it was. Raleigh was just as invested in this, just as lost to Chuck as the other way round. He stopped his ministrations, earning a whimper from Raleigh, and pulled the other man down so they were pressed bodily together. He let Raleigh initiate another kiss, relaxing into him before rolling them so he was on top, again. When it got to the point where neither could breathe, Chuck sat up and pulled Raleigh up with him. He fisted a hand in the blond’s recently trimmed mop and pressed their foreheads together. 

They stayed like that for a several minutes, just sharing air and lingering touches. Raleigh’s hands finally dropped to Chuck’s waist, his thumb tracing circles over the redhead’s hipbones. Chuck kept his hands twisted in Raleigh’s hair, scratching his scalp, earning some moans that were downright distracting. 

Distracting enough that Chuck missed the sound of Raleigh slicking up his fingers. He didn’t miss Raleigh’s eyes popping open as those fingers traced the crease of Chuck’s ass, silently asking permission. Chuck appreciated it every time. Sure they switched things up, but he loved the feeling of Raleigh inside him. He loved that Raleigh _always_ asked first too. Not too many Jaeger flies had been all that concerned with the little things when they found out Chuck liked to bottom. Hazards of being so young, he guessed. 

But he threw those negative feelings out the window and kissed Raleigh senseless. The other man took it for the permission it was and slowly eased a single finger inside of Chuck. By now he knew exactly where to press to turn Chuck into a writhing mess, but he loved torturing the younger man a bit first. Raleigh waited until he had three fingers buried inside a swearing, pleading Chuck, stretching and tormenting him, to press hard on his prostate. 

Raleigh surged up with his free hand and dragged Chuck into a blistering kiss to silence the shout he let out. The older Ranger continued teasing the little bundle of nerves until Chuck dug his nails into Raleigh’s back and dragged them down, hard. Raleigh could feel his skin break and abruptly pulled his fingers out. Still kissing Chuck to stop the vehement protests he was sure would tumble out otherwise, Raleigh slicked himself up and pressed home. 

They’d both had each other in a variety of ways by this point. Three months of sexual tension meant they’d fallen very quickly into bed with each other. But this, Raleigh decided, this was different. Chuck moaned outrageously as Raleigh slowly pushed in, clamping his teeth down hard on his partner’s neck. Raleigh jerked in response, eliciting another delicious moan from Chuck as his cock grazed everything just right. Once Raleigh’s hips were flush with Chuck’s, they both opened their eyes and stayed still. 

Sitting in Raleigh’s lap, Chuck felt fuller and certainly more turned on than he’d ever felt in his life. But the way the other man looked at him, how his hands stroked up and down his sides, this was different. Chuck finally closed his eyes and angled for a kiss. Raleigh opened up for him immediately and Chuck rewarded them both by pressing down with his bent knees and raising slowly out of Raleigh’s lap. 

The rhythm he set remained languid. Raleigh pushed up on every down stroke of Chuck’s body, but they didn’t increase the pace. Both were content to simply be a part of each other instead of chasing their release like their previous encounters. Hands wandered and they barely breathed, lips locked together as they were. 

Eventually though, the tension built too high and the rhythm faltered. Raleigh fell back to the mattress, Chuck clutching tightly at his hands. The younger man used that connection as the leverage he needed and pushed himself to a punishing pace. Raleigh angled his hips just right and hit Chuck’s prostate on every thrust up. Unable to take it anymore, Chuck came hard and collapsed onto Raleigh’s chest. Realizing that the other man hadn’t, he raised up a bit and kissed Raleigh’s chin. 

“What are you waiting for?” He rasped out. 

Raleigh took the hint and flipped Chuck over. He kept their hands entwined next to Chuck’s head and set up a hard, sure pace that connected their hips on every thrust. The sound of skin smacking together echoed in the room, along with both of their muffled moans. Chuck nearly cried as Raleigh hit his prostate over and over at this angle. He felt himself hardening again and gasped into Raleigh’s mouth. The older pilot pulled back and glanced down. He smirked triumphantly and let go of Chuck’s hand to reach between them and stroke the younger man off. 

The overstimulation was too much and Chuck came again, seeing stars this time. He clamped down hard on Raleigh who was just as overstimulated, forcing him to come as well. Several stuttering thrusts later, they’d both crumpled into panting messes. Raleigh gingerly pulled out and hobbled off the bed. He dizzily grabbed onto a chair to steady himself as his legs weren’t working properly, but made it into the bathroom for a washcloth. 

When he returned to the bed, Chuck’s face was so blissed out he had to pause and appreciate the sight. But rapidly drying stickiness forced him to move and he cleaned them both up. Raleigh flung the washcloth towards the hamper on the far wall and allowed Chuck to pull him down. They finagled their way under the covers and Chuck pressed himself to Raleigh’s back. 

Neither of them spoke. Instead they listened to each other breathe and dropped into sleep. For the first time in years, both slept without nightmares.


	16. And I Need Something More To Keep On Breathing For

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Originally posted 9 June 2017. Fully edited and Beta'd by 25 December 2017. 
> 
> The last two chapters were all nice and sweet and fluffy. Well, now we get back to our regularly scheduled programming of angst and the K-War. Stacker comes back in this chapter. Teenaged Chuck is just as much of a little shit as twenty-one-year-old Chuck. The Hansen kids still don't talk to their father like they should. Herc is trying his best to be a good dad. The ramifications of drifting while pregnant are touched upon.

\-----August 2, 2020-----

**0935 HRS, Med-Bay Room 3, PPDC Jaeger Academy and Proving Grounds, Kodiak Island, Alaska**

Charlotte clenched her phone tightly in her hands. She’d just finished another phone call with Gene Williams. Raleigh was out of the hospital and going to therapy today. He was responding well and Gene had him in hand. The pain and grief she held onto for so many months was seeping away. Everything that represented the Becket boys becoming a numb spot in her heart. 

She glanced to the left of her hospital bed. There in a clear plastic cradle was her newborn daughter, swaddled in a lumpy blue PPDC issue sweater that belonged to Yancy. The nurses and doctors tried wrapping the baby in blankets, but she refused to sleep. Charlotte forced her father to pull the sweater out of its safe, plastic wrapped storage in her bunk. Once she laid the sweater over her daughter, the little girl settled down immediately. 

Two days later she still slept better with the sweater. Charlotte wasn’t sure what to make of it. Sure the Docs said that babies recognized voices in the womb, but her little girl had little over a month of Yancy’s voice and definitely no smell to latch on to. One of the Docs suggested it might be a side effect of her repeated drifting while pregnant. The baby could have memories that weren’t hers, like how Yancy always smelled like the ocean in winter. 

Chuck wandered into the room and flopped into the chair next to the cradle. Charlotte watched, amused, as the baby woke up immediately and started fussing. 

“Shit. Sorry. What should I do?” Chuck spluttered. 

“Pick her up. She was just fed. Sprog just wants to be cuddled.”

“You don’t want to hold her?”

“No. She mauled my left tit an hour ago. I’d rather you hold your niece, eh?”

Chuck gingerly picked up the baby, supporting her head at Charlotte’s direction, and cuddled her to his chest. He was still nervous about holding the little girl. 

“Herc said you still haven’t picked a name.” He finally said, his whole attention focused on the baby.

“I lied to him.”

“So, what’s her name then?” Chuck snarked. Both of them were still prone to lying to their father about things, despite the drift healing most of the Hansens’ festering emotional wounds. They didn’t talk all that much, leaving most of it to the drift, and still fought most days, but the three of them were much better than before. 

“Stella.” Charlotte responded a bit nervously. Chuck wouldn’t hesitate to mock her choice. 

“Stella. Hmm. Sounds good. I like it.” He glanced up and grinned at her. “And I know for a fact you kept up with the whole stupid Greek thing. So, what’s she been stuck with?”

“Alala.” She bit out. Their mother had insisted on the “Greek thing” when they were born as a way to tease their father. Chuck could suck it.

“Alala.” He parroted. He silently repeated it to himself a few times, looking hard at the baby in his arms. “Who’s she then?”

“One of Athena’s handmaidens. She was the personification of the battle cry. Soldiers prayed for her to inspire fear in their enemies. She led the charge when Athena rode into battle.”

“Stella Alala Hansen.”

“Staughton.”

“Fuck that. He’s got no right to her. She’s a Hansen.”

Charlotte grinned at her brother. He was officially the youngest Jaeger pilot ever. Sixteen years old and the highest scoring recruit the academy had ever seen. He already had a kill under his belt in Striker Eureka with their father. But right now, all Charlotte saw was her baby brother, the one person she’d rather die than lose. Well, the second person now that Stella was around. 

The past few months, separated from her family and Raleigh, she’d descended into depression. She took care of herself for the baby and because she was still a goddamned Ranger, thank you very much, but her emotional state was volatile at best before Knifehead and pregnancy. After losing Yancy, she retreated into her own head far enough that neither Herc nor Chuck could pull her out. Bringing Stella into the world changed things completely. 

Charlotte had something to fight for again. She was going to keep the Jaeger program running, despite the losses. They _would_ win this war, or she wasn’t a Hansen. 

Chuck cleared his throat and Charlotte started. She’d gotten wrapped up in her own head again and missed her brother talking to her. 

“What?”

“You’re better. I can see it. She’s good for you.”

“She’s good for all of us.”

“Yeah, gives us something else to fight for. It isn’t all about avenging mum any more. We’ve got to win to keep the sproglet safe.”

Charlotte’s phone buzzed. Gene sent her a photo of Raleigh holding the picture she’d taken of Stella, completely enraptured. Chuck caught a glimpse of it and frowned. 

“Can’t believe you helped the fucker run.”

“You weren’t here, Chuck. You didn’t see what they were doing to him.” He didn’t see how Raleigh was falling apart before her eyes, she added silently. 

“Still, why didn’t he press for medical leave? They would’ve given it to him, he’s Raleigh fucking Becket for Christ’s sake.”

“They weren’t going to. The Marshal tried. They wanted him back in a Jaeger immediately. It would’ve killed him. He’ll come back when he’s ready, when we need him.”

Chuck glanced away, thinking hard, but unconvinced. He was a Hansen. They didn’t run from their problems. They ran headlong at them, fists raised. Raleigh Becket let him down the day he left the corps. Chuck wasn’t sure he’d ever forgive the other pilot for that. Or for getting his sister censured as a result. Even with the sprog, it should be the two of them piloting Striker. Instead he was stuck with his father and it was only their shared rage that kept the drift so strong. 

And fuck Becket, he’d left his pregnant sister behind when he professed to be her best friend. When his brother was the one person who’d made her really happy for the first time since their mum died. Chuck had no respect for the man anymore, much less the crush he’d nurtured the past few years. Looking at his sister though, he wasn’t sure his assessment would hold any weight with her. 

Both Hansen siblings were startled out of their silent staring match by their father entering with two other men. One was the imposing figure of Stacker Pentecost, the eye at the center of the hurricane that was the PPDC. The Hansens were all aware of his cancer and how it weakened him, but none of them ever saw him falter. He was a fixed point for his Rangers. 

The other man was an unusually frail looking Secretary-General Dustin Krieger. The typically spry sixty-something former USAF two-star General looked like death warmed over. He hobbled into the room leaning heavily on a cane. His whole demeanor spoke of weakness despite the fire in his eyes. 

The man in question moved straight towards Chuck who was returning his niece to her cradle. He leaned over the little girl and smiled gently. 

“She’s beautiful, Commander Hansen.”

“Thank you, sir. What can I do for you?”

The Secretary-General of the PPDC collapsed heavily into a chair. The Marshal took up position at his right shoulder while Chuck and Herc moved to the opposite side of Charlotte’s hospital bed. All four men eyed each other, and her. Herc looked more tense than usual, his jaw clenching. 

“Commander,” Krieger began. “I am here to offer you a promotion. You may refuse to take it of course, but I feel this is the best course of action considering our circumstances.”

Charlotte looked to the Marshal. Stacker Pentecost said nothing only twitched an eyebrow, she took it as a hint to listen and not speak. 

“Deputy Marshal Li Xiu Yang has been dismissed from the PPDC. Since you all know her very well I think it is important for you to know that the Marshal and I had no choice. The UN forced our hand.” Krieger coughed hard before collecting himself and continuing. “She broke Ambassador Taylor’s nose. Despite our recommendation for disciplinary action, we were forced to push her into retirement. Don’t worry, she’s taken up her former post with the Chinese Army. She will be fine.

“Her departure puts us in a particular pickle, though. Ian Staughton, thanks to his father’s connections, has earned himself a position as a special advisor to the UN on the Jaeger program. He’s the reason the Wall received _any_ funding. Ambassadors Cole and Taylor are reliant on his counsel. It is also because of him that Deputy Marshal Li lost her temper.”

“Not sure what this has to do with a promotion, sir.” 

Krieger smiled, his face taking on a bit of color. “I’d like to use my most dangerous asset against them. I’ve just had a heart attack, Commander Hansen. I have no hope of continuing as the Secretary-General for much longer. However, the PPDC charter is written in such a way that I can name my successor. Naturally, I’ve chosen Marshal Pentecost. He needs a second in command. With Deputy Marshal Li gone and none of the active Rangers in any position to step out of a conn-pod, you and Commander Quan are the highest ranking officers in the PPDC. Before you ask, Commander Quan is leaving the corps. His daughter is ill.”

“So I’m the only option.” Charlotte deadpanned, not liking the idea of this promotion at all. 

“Yes. But you are also my secret weapon. You are nineteen years old, Commander. No one will expect someone your age to take such an important position. And with the singular exception of your behaviour after the loss of Ranger Becket, understandable under the circumstances of course, you have a spotless record with the PPDC. In three years you’ve advance faster and with more commendations than any other officer in the corps. You also have the added benefit of being completely at odds with Ian Staughton.”

“You want me to fight with the father of my child for the future of the Jaeger corps.”

“Yes. _You_ are the only person that can possibly throw him off his game. He’s had months to entrench himself at the UN. He thinks you’re a shell of your former self. I’d like you to prove him wrong. You represent the best of the corps, Commander. You charm the public and frighten politicians. Ambassador Grigorovich speaks highly of you in that regard.”

“Who takes the position if I say no?” Charlotte asked the Marshal.

“You won’t say no, Commander.” Stacker replied evenly, his eyebrow lifted in a challenge to the young woman. 

Charlotte glared at the Marshal. He knew her too well. This was an opportunity to keep fighting, to survive. The Kaiju were getting smarter, targeting the conn-pods and _learning_ how to fight Jaegers. Knifehead was the turning point. Charlotte knew that, everyone in the PPDC knew that. No one was willing to give up the fight, though, no matter how many pilots died to keep the world safe. Charlotte wouldn’t either. 

“I’ll take the position sir.”

“Excellent. Thank you very much, Deputy Marshal Hansen.” Krieger reached out and shook Charlotte’s hand. He smiled at the Hansen men and little Stella then stood and left the room. 

Chuck, who by some miracle remained silent during the whole exchange, exhaled slowly. The Secretary-General gave him the impression of a saltwater crocodile. All still smooth waters and funny smiles until he reached out and bit off a leg. Herc was frowning openly at his friend now, though, and the tension between his father and Pentecost drew all Chuck’s attention. 

“She’s too young for this, Stacker.”

“I know.”

“You bloody well have other options.”

“The doctors will not allow a new mother into a conn-pod for at least six months, Herc. I checked. Until they say otherwise, Charlotte remains grounded. Are you telling me you’d rather have her stuck here training recruits than in Sydney with you?”

“That’s low, mate.”

“Did it work?”

“You’re a bastard.”

“And you’re a concerned father. Right now, I am not. She is a valuable resource that is currently wasted on training new recruits. We don’t need her here. We need her out in the world, making our pilots and Jaegers better. Making the UN cower in fear of her.”

“She just had a baby, Stacker.” Herc said, grasping at straws.

“Precisely, public opinion is on her side. No member of the PDC can openly criticize her for fear of a media shit storm.”

“Excuse me sir, Herc, but I am right fucking here. Herc, there’s almost no chance I’m getting in Striker now. I won’t risk leaving my little girl behind. Ian would fight you for custody and win. This is my best option of keeping the fight going. The UN is just going to continue pulling our funding. Let me help the Marshal with the diplomats, you and Chuck focus on fighting Kaiju.”

Herc was stopped from starting a fight with his daughter by the appearance of Mako Mori in the doorway. The young woman looked in apprehensively, obviously unsure of her welcome. Chuck brightened immediately at the sight of his friend. The Marshal’s stoic face softened slightly as his daughter approached. Charlotte was still the first one to speak though. 

“Mako! They finally let you in!”

“Yes, Commander. I finished my simulation quickly and was dismissed.”

“You don’t call me that when I’m off duty, Mako. How’d the sim go?”

Mako ducked her head as the group studied her. She did not want to appear boastful. “I now have fifteen kills.”

Chuck whistled. “You’re only a month in Mako. You can’t go beating my records already, mate.”

“Very good, Mako.” The Marshal interrupted. 

Mako smiled at her father, blushing from the praise. “Thank you, Sensei. Chuck-kun.”

Charlotte smiled brightly at her friend/ favorite student. “Would you like to meet the newest Hansen?” She gestured towards the cradle where Stella slept soundly. 

Mako stepped up and peered down at the riotous head of ginger curls and copious amount of freckles. “What is her name?”

“Stella Alala Hansen.” Charlotte replied, nodding her assent for Mako to stroke the baby’s head. Stella watched Mako raptly. 

“You picked a name.” Herc said, breaking the silence. 

“Wanted to tell my family all at the same time, Herc.” Charlotte didn’t miss Stacker ducking his head, a blush barely visible. 

The elder Hansen grinned, he saw his friend’s blush as well. “Where’d you pick Stella from?”

“I didn’t. It was a suggestion.” Charlotte shot her father a look. He clenched his jaw and nodded. Yancy Becket would’ve made a good father. 

Stella laughed out loud at Mako grasping for the young woman’s blue hair and breaking the last of the tension. The group dissolved into chatter. Herc, Charlotte, and Stacker discussed everything Charlotte would need to know before she left for Sydney. Chuck and Mako switched off teasing the baby while they caught each other up on their lives and gossip. 

Knifehead changed everything, they all knew that now. Instead of winning they’d be fighting for survival from now on. But this moment marked a pause in the stress and suffering of the K-War. This was a moment to reassess what they fought for, who they fought for. 

They all knew this moment was the calm before the storm.


	17. Here Comes The Sun, It's All Right

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Originally posted 10 June 2017. Fully edited and Beta'd by 25 December 2017. 
> 
> More angst, but extra fluff. Herc gets some. Our Jaeger pilots learn that they are still heroes to the little people. Chuck and Raleigh troll the little people. Charlotte is only pretending to have her shit together.

\-----April 21, 2025-----

**0730 HRS, The Mark Hotel, 77th and Madison Avenue, New York City, New York, USA**

Charlotte knocked again on her brother and Raleigh’s door. Still receiving no response, she tried the handle. It was unlocked. She stepped inside and stopped immediately. The two pilots were naked, sheets kicked to the floor. Chuck had Raleigh pinned to the mattress, pounding into him. Raleigh’s head was dangling off the edge of the bed as Chuck’s thrusts pushed him across the mattress. Charlotte’s best friend was moaning uncontrollably. 

This, Charlotte decided, was now at the top of things she’d never needed to see. She backed out of the room, very slowly and quietly, closing the door behind her. A quick retreat to the suite’s kitchen found her opening cabinets in a frantic search for something to burn the image from her mind. 

Charlotte ignored the guests sitting at the dining room table as they eyed her. Mako and her father were also watching her curiously. Finding a bottle of vodka in the third cabinet, she twisted off the cap and swore colorfully in Russian before taking a quick swig. She returned the bottle to its resting place and joined the rest of the group at the table. 

“I swear on my daughter that I am not a day drinker. There are just things that require a bit of brain bleach this early in the morning.”

Mako and Herc both scowled knowing exactly what Charlotte had just walked in on. The three Rangers were never so happy to be in an expensive hotel with equally expensive soundproofing on all the rooms. Tatiana Grigorovich barked out a laugh. Based on the language she just heard, she too could guess exactly what her beloved girl had seen in that room. The other five people sitting at the table exchanged significant glances and wrote down notes. 

In the post-morning-sex bubble that surrounded Chuck and Raleigh, the two Rangers were breathing hard and curled around each other. Chuck tucked his head into Raleigh’s shoulder and sighed. He never wanted to leave this bed. Raleigh, on the other hand, was not intending to lounge comfortably. He’d seen Charlotte sneak into the room earlier. 

“Your sister came in.”

The groan Chuck let out in response was hilariously upset and Raleigh couldn’t help but laugh. 

“Shut up. It’s one thing seeing shit like this in the drift, but entirely different in real life.” 

“I know. Yancy didn’t know I was bisexual until our first drift. Got an eyeful of his friend Matt going down on me.”

“Charlotte nearly fell out of alignment when she saw me losing my virginity in the drift testing we did after Manila.”

“Really, why?”

“One name, mate: Elizabeth Lowell.” 

“Hydra Corinthian’s pilot?”

“One in the same. She and Bridgette were guest teachers at the Academy my second month there. Both of them sampled the buffet while they were there. Charlotte knew them fairly well. Hydra was stationed at Vladivostok for a bit during her J-Tech rotation.”

“She was eight years older than you, man. You were sixteen.”

“What can I say, I’m irresistible.” Chuck waggled his eyebrows and Raleigh laughed. “We need to get dressed don’t we?” He asked a moment later. 

“Yep.”

“Join me in the shower?”

“Now you’re talking.” Raleigh said, grinning madly.

When the two Rangers entered the dining room twenty minutes later they were greeted by a table full of people discussing documents and recordings. Chuck frowned when he saw Shi-Shi Li, the reporter was a shark _and_ his ex. He turned to pull Raleigh into the kitchen and found the man completely frozen to the spot staring at a beautiful brunette. 

The woman in question was frantically looking between Raleigh and Charlotte. Chuck didn’t know who she was but he certainly felt he was owed an explanation with how guilty Charlotte looked. His sister picked up on his rapidly souring mood and stood up. Herc glanced up at her movement and noticed his son and Raleigh in the doorway. He frowned and shifted his gaze guiltily away towards Tatiana. 

“Naomi, come with me.” Charlotte ordered. 

The brunette followed her through the kitchen, with Raleigh and Chuck tailing them, to the sitting room farthest from the rest of the group. She watched the Vice-Marshal flop gracelessly into a poufy chair while Raleigh collapsed into one opposite her, pain written all over his face. Naomi felt guilty for putting that look there. Chuck Hansen paced between the two as Naomi took a seat where both Raleigh and Charlotte could see her. The two stared at each other hard for several long moments, until Charlotte broke the tense silence.

“I invited her, Rals.”

“Why?” He snapped. 

“She’s a damned good reporter, just like the other people in that room. We need good press going into the General Assembly. She is going to help us get it.”

“Fine. Why didn’t you tell me?”

Charlotte had the decency to look away, cheeks flushed. “Didn’t want you to run, mate.”

“Fuck you, Lotte.”

“Well fuck you too, Rals.” Charlotte barked back, her anger rising. “I can’t always be your friend first. I’m the second-in-command here.”

“You haven’t been my friend first in a long time, Lotte. Thought we settled that months ago. Just think I earned enough consideration to be part of the loop. Noticed you didn’t tell your brother either.”

“Yeah, well, he knows who she is. Couldn’t have him trying to defend your honor or following you if you did run.”

Chuck chose this moment to step between the two pilots. “Charlie you’re a fucking bitch. We deserved to know.” The irate ginger rounded on Naomi, who’d been doing her best to stay invisible during the exchange. “So, anything to say?”

“Um. Well. You see.” She stuttered for a long minute under the soul-burning gazes of three Rangers. “Oh goddammit. Yes, I fucked Yancy Becket and was the trigger for a lot of bullshit that happened between you and your brother, Raleigh. I’m sorry. Yes, by doing that I also caused a bunch of crap to go down between Charlotte and Yancy. Also sorry, but Charlotte and I fixed ourselves years ago. I didn’t know where you were to apologize, Raleigh. But know that I am here now because I believe in the Jaeger program. Always have. What the UN has been up to is complete and total bullshit. I’ve been sitting in that room for the last hour working with some of my biggest competitors so we could craft a story that will ensure the public is behind you. If that isn’t proof that I’m here to fix what I broke, then I don’t know what is.” 

The three Rangers assessed her coolly after her little rant. Naomi felt exposed. If this is what they looked like in a conn-pod, well she didn’t want to be a Kaiju. The looks they were giving her were also reminding her why she’d been a Jaeger fly in the first place. That confident set to jaws and shoulders was doing things for her. She started drifting into a brief little fantasy until Chuck moving broke her out. 

The Australian stepped closer to Raleigh and cupped his jaw gently. The older pilot frowned but leaned into the touch, still glaring hard at Charlotte. Naomi felt a familiar tingle in her fingers. She was witnessing something no one knew about. She also suddenly realized why Charlotte might have needed a shot of vodka this morning. 

Charlotte watched the exchange with a different kind of tingle. Her brother was head over heels for Raleigh Becket, if this behavior was anything to judge, and it was stirring up a lot of unpleasant feelings. She’d closed herself off to a lot of grief and pain since Stella’s birth and the people in this room did enough damage to those shields that she was starting to crack. 

“I’m sorry.” 

“Apology accepted. Both of you.” Raleigh answered his best friend and former fling. Chuck moved away to stand at his side. The two women both nodded. Chuck eyed his sister carefully, he could see the façade cracking. Charlotte was due a major meltdown. All he could do was forestall the inevitable at this point.

“It’s apples, mate. Come on Charlie, how can we help?” Chuck asked. 

\-----1445 HRS-----

Chuck thumped his head down on the table. Raleigh reached over and massaged his neck, earning an appreciative moan from the Australian. The reporters were gone. Copies of documents and recordings dating back six years in their possession. Charlotte’s plan to turn the public against UN involvement in the PPDC, Ambassadors Taylor and Cole especially, was underway. She apparently spent the last eighteen months compiling any and all evidence she had from Krieger and Pentecost’s tenures as the heads of the PPDC all the way through Pitfall. With the information Tatiana provided the reporters as well, it was likely some arrests would be made. 

At the moment, though, Chuck was wrung out. The five reporters spent hours grilling him on any and everything he could remember from the last five years. Raleigh realizing halfway through the marathon interview session that he and Shi-Shi Li were exes only made it that much more stressful. Shi-Shi raked him over the coals and he couldn’t say he didn’t deserve it either. 

She’d briefly been a PR Executive for the PPDC over a year ago, who reported directly to his sister. They fell into what Chuck thought was a fling. It wasn’t. There were _feelings_ involved. He got a bit invested. Shi-Shi did not. The small Chinese woman threw a hell of a punch, which he found out during the fight that broke them up. He still had a small scar on his left cheekbone where one of her rings had cut him. Raleigh thought his discomfort was hilarious. 

The presence of Peter Hirohito and Thomas Wuttenberg balanced things a bit as the two men had no prior connection to anyone in the room except Tatiana. Maria Gonzales proved to be a wildcard though. The astute Mexican woman latched on to the repeated criticisms of Charlotte’s ability to command and ran with it. Her portion of the article was designed to tug the heartstrings. Charlotte wasn’t that happy with it, but couldn’t deny the image of a young mother, a soldier, stepping up to lead the fight for humanity’s very survival was powerful. 

The reporters all promised to have their editors running their stories the next day. Each reporter picked a different theme and, since they all shared outrage at the recordings provided to them which proved the UN’s ineptitude, wrote the story that pissed them off the most. They’d also promised to send copies to every major television news company in their respective countries. 

As it stood, the populations of the US, Japan, China, Germany, and Mexico were all going to wake up to a massive pro-PPDC media campaign in the morning. None of the Rangers, or the ever-effervescent Tatiana, could find any fault with the day. 

“Right, I think it’s time for another round of room service.” Herc said as he stood and stretched his sore muscles. Tatiana subtly appreciated the view as his shirt rode up in the process. 

She felt eyes on her and glanced across the table to see Chuck and Raleigh grinning shamelessly. They’d caught her. The former Russian FSB operative levelled her most intimidating stare back at the young men, daring them to say something. Both dropped their smiles immediately and flinched. 

“This is a good idea, _Gerakl_. But we still have things to discuss in private, yes? Our conversation last night?”

Herc stopped stretching to look down at the woman next to him. Her tone was her typical charming and flighty lilt, but the undertone was pure want. The Marshal cleared his throat at the realization and tried not to smile. 

“Forgot all about it, love.” He managed to say without sounding too eager. The look he levelled on his Rangers though was blistering. “Right. You lot feed yourselves and stay out of trouble will ya? Can’t have any international incidents.” 

The four Rangers all nodded sagely, though Herc didn’t like the grins his son and Becket were trying to hide. His daughter was happily oblivious to the subtext going on and Mako was firmly engaged in Jaeger blueprints on her tablet. 

“No worries, Herc. We’ll head down to the restaurant for lunch, yeah?” Charlotte chirped, picking up her own tablet. 

The Marshal nodded, satisfied that the four would be fine for an hour. Tatiana was already beckoning from the doorway. Make that two hours, he amended to himself, watching the blonde woman sashay down the hall towards his bedroom. 

Once the elder Hansen cleared the room and all four heard the tell-tale sound of a large body being slammed against a door, the Rangers burst into giggles. Chuck bent double and turned beet-red. Raleigh shook his head. Mako merely blushed and chuckled. Charlotte smiled widely. 

“Pay up, you lot. I called it.” The Vice-Marshal stretched a hand out. The other three Rangers all fished in pockets for bills, handing them over. 

“It’s not fair, Charlie.”

“Not at all, Lotte. You knew about the two of them before anyone else. You’ve got more experience reading them.”

A particularly loud thump from the wall adjoining Herc’s bedroom startled them. Chuck and Charlotte both frowned. Sharing headspace with their old man would never make the idea of him having sex any easier on either of them. 

“Restaurant.” The Hansen siblings said together. 

Raleigh made terrible jokes in the lift and all the way across the lobby to the hotel’s restaurant. Mako waited until the maître d’ seated them in a private booth towards the back to join her copilot in teasing the Hansens mercilessly. The four managed to happily enjoy their lunch despite Charlotte’s insistence that she’d deck the next person to allude to her father’s sex life. 

Afterwards they collectively decided to escape the hotel for a few hours. The Manhattan skyline wasn’t quite the same since a forty-mile stretch of the Anti-Kaiju Wall snaked its way around the whole of New York City’s coastline. The UN had protected itself first after all. But the four Rangers dodged the paparazzi and made straight for Central Park. 

Raleigh dragged his friends straight to the Balto statue to pay homage, “as every Alaskan and 90s kid is supposed to do,” he asserted because the movie was apparently heartbreakingly amazing. Chuck and Mako ribbed him for the next hour until Raleigh started humming the theme songs to Crocodile Dundee and Sasuke every time they opened their mouths. Charlotte snagged a map and ignored her friends in favor of silently directing them towards the _Alice in Wonderland_ statue. 

Four hours later, as the four Rangers were perched on Umpire Rock watching civilians enjoying the park in the twilight and eating hot dogs, Charlotte’s phone rang. She answered it without activating the holo-screen and was greeted with her father’s gruff voice. 

“Where’d you bludgers get off to?”

“Central Park.”

“Good day for it. You lot headed back soon?”

“You and Tatiana through reacquainting yourselves.” Charlotte snapped playfully. Chuck, leaning close to his sister to hear the call, snorted and flopped backwards onto the rock at the sound of his father’s spluttering. 

“You knew?” The Marshal finally exclaimed, disbelieving. 

Charlotte wished she’d activated the holo-screen so her father could see exactly how unimpressed she was. “Of course I knew, old man. You two are not subtle.”

“Don’t call me that.” Herc grumbled. His bloody kids were too perceptive. “You okay with it?” He finally asked, a bit nervous. Though he’d never admit to it, no matter the look Tatiana was now giving him. 

“You two have been together for two years, Herc. If I wasn’t okay with it, you’d bloody well know it by now, yeah?”

Tatiana laughed loud enough for Charlotte to hear and she was sure it was because her father’s eyes had bugged out of his head. 

“We’ll head back now.” Charlotte took pity on him and interrupted her father’s grumblings. Turning away from her friends and standing up, she tucked the phone closer and whispered her next words encouragingly. “Don’t over think this, dad. I love her. She’s a good woman. And she loves you. Not sure why, but she does. She also loves your kids and Stella. You won’t find another one like her. Now you bloody fucking well tell that woman you love her.” 

Charlotte hung up and joined her brother and friends who were already several meters ahead of her down the path. Drawing up even with her brother, she leaned into him. Chuck obliged by throwing an arm around her shoulders and the two siblings shared a smile. It had been a long time since their father was happy and, for once, the both of them were in the right headspace to be happy for him. 

They nearly made it out of the park before a group of teenagers appeared out of nowhere blocking their path back out onto Fifth Avenue. All four Rangers tensed up. The apparent leader of the group edged forward until he could see them clearly, then let out a low whistle. 

“Fuck. It _is_ them! I told you so, Ricky!” The boy shouted. 

The group suddenly surrounded the Rangers all extending pieces of paper, phones, and peppering them with questions. Raleigh and Chuck received the most attention. Mako and Charlotte were pushed away from their copilots by the boy who recognized them, Bobby, and his friend Ricky. They both grilled the women for every bit of technical knowledge they could get on the Jaegers. Raleigh and Chuck were smart men, but Charlotte and Mako were now famously recognized as the two engineers who’d spearheaded improvements in J-Tech for half a decade. 

Raleigh and Chuck, hemmed in by over eager teens, checked on their copilots and found them happily nerding out with the two young men. One of them had the holo-screen activated on his phone and a picture of Striker pulled up. Charlotte and Mako both were poking at the image, pure glee on their faces. The men shared a look and rolled their eyes. Nothing could stop those two from finding their fellow J-Tech geeks. 

The appearance of a young woman’s hand on Chuck’s chest snapped them both to attention. The girl stroked the Australian’s chest and smiled. Raleigh snorted hard and signed an autograph for one of the girl’s simpering friends. Chuck was frowning slightly. He gently removed the girl’s hand from his chest and took a half step back. 

“Sorry, love, I’m spoken for.” He drawled, all charm and swagger. Raleigh tried not to laugh. 

“Aww, who is she?” The girl pouted. 

Chuck glanced at Raleigh who was somehow managing an impressive poker face. Raleigh arched an eyebrow, daring the younger man to say something. They’d agreed before leaving Hong Kong that they wouldn’t hide the relationship. Chuck glared back. The whole group of teens had gone quiet waiting for an answer from the youngest Jaeger pilot ever. He was only a few years older than they were and not one of the teens was lacking in a bit of hero worship for the Australian.

“Are you not gonna tell us? Keeping it secret?” The girl prodded, now stroking his arm. Chuck had to give it to the girl, she was determined. 

He grinned at her, though, using his dimples against her. She melted a bit and he went in for the kill. “ _He_ is standing right there, love.” 

With that he seamlessly pulled out of her grip and yanked Raleigh in for a kiss. The teenagers who had their phones out went wild. The group collectively cheered the two Rangers on for another kiss. The girl pouted, but didn’t look too put out. Raleigh and Chuck broke apart, grinning slightly and turned their attention back on the kids. Both put on their “no bullshit” faces and looked hard at them all. 

“Look,” Raleigh began. “We’re in New York for a big meeting, okay. You guys think you can wait to post anything until Wednesday?” 

“Yeah, we’ve got to convince a lot of people to allow us to keep building Jaegers. If this hits the internet, no one is gonna listen to us.” Chuck added. 

The kids all looked at each other. They’d all grown up in a world with Kaiju. These two guys were responsible for their future. They were heroes. None of them were rich kids who’d ever had a shot at anything until the Breach closed. Now they had opportunities. They owed these Rangers a lot. Charlotte and Mako, with their two fellow Jaeger nerds, rejoined the group. The two women added the gravitas needed to convince every one of the fifteen kids that they could indeed wait. 

All of them collectively, and forcefully, told the four Rangers that they wouldn’t breathe a word of this to anyone. They proceeded to pose for a million more pictures and videos with the kids and even went so far as to add them all as friends or follow them on their various social media accounts. The PPDC PR Team had insisted the Rangers remain “relatable” in the last few months, so all of them had curated accounts.

The teens followed the Rangers all the way back to the hotel, which succeeded in keeping the paparazzi off them as well. The kids’ youth concealed the Rangers’ world weary appearance, despite the fact they weren’t much older themselves. The door man stopped the kids from entering, but the Rangers did not skimp on hugs or advice before sending the teens on their way. 

Stumbling into the lift back up to their suite, the four exchanged meaningful glances. They’d all been fighting long and hard for a future they’d been sure they would never see. Those kids were tangible proof that it was all worth it. 

If they all exited the elevator with shining eyes that made Herc frown, none of them were ever going to admit it.


	18. Hit The Deck, Know The Score, They Take You By Surprise

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Originally posted 18 June 2017. Fully edited and Beta'd by 25 December 2017. 
> 
> Kaiju Fight!
> 
> I mean let's be honest here, it wouldn't be a very good, quasi-canonical, PacRim story if I didn't include a bit of Kaiju destruction now and again would it. Also, I have this theory that Tendo came up with all the names. He's the only LOCCENT Chief we see, but there _had_ to be others. I just get this feeling that if he caught the Breach opening, the Kaiju got a name. All the others like MN-19 were designations made by the more "serious" LOCCENT operators who really didn't get Tendo's need to name the giant monsters coming through an inter-dimensional portal to massacre humanity. 
> 
> Kaiju reference work at the end.

\-----January 31, 2022-----

**0130 HRS, Sydney Shatterdome, Sydney, Australia**

The alarms sounded, startling the Hansens out of sleep. The suite the family shared at the Sydney Shatterdome received an alarm before the main alarms echoed in the rest of the dome. Charlotte had been promoted to Vice-Marshal only six months earlier, after Secretary-General Krieger’s death. Herc Hansen had also been promoted to Vice-Marshal that same day. With the UN pulling funding right and left, active Jaeger pilots were receiving promotions despite their active status. J-Techs and LOCCENT officers were rising through the ranks quickly, too. The PPDC needed their people to hold as much authority as possible. 

Chuck groaned as his sister and father shuffled around their respective bedrooms. Striker hadn’t needed to deploy since October. And with his father nursing a broken leg, Chuck was grounded. Bloody tosser got too antsy while testing Striker’s updated engine array and gotten himself thrown from the harness in the conn-pod. Chuck and Charlotte both didn’t speak to him for a week and Stella refused to draw on his cast. Herc didn’t apologize to his children, but Stella earned herself a full week of groveling before she forgave her grandfather. Chuck was still pissed and not speaking to him. Charlotte was their go-between as she was forced to talk to Herc daily as her fellow Vice-Marshal. 

Chuck would head to LOCCENT with his family because he wouldn’t let Echo and Vulcan go out without his eyes to back them up. He’d lost too many fellow pilots in the last year and a half to sit back in his quarters while they fought without him. When he jockeyed for the first time there were sixty-two Jaegers in service. Now there were only fifty. Gipsy was the first domino. The whole corps was in survival mode now. 

He got out of bed and pulled on his cargo trousers and boots. Charlotte paused at his bedroom door and handed a sleepy Stella over. This was their SOP whenever the Kaiju alarms went off and Striker wasn’t needed. Stella wouldn’t calm for anyone but her mother and uncle. The siblings waited for their father, a few seconds slower on his crutches, and then hurried off to LOCCENT. Their record getting there was ninety seconds. The LOCCENT techs all ran betting pools on how fast they could arrive. 

“Vice-Marshals,” the LOCCENT Chief, Marina Dvorak, called from the front of the room. “We’ve got a Category IV, codenamed Spinejackal, ETA two and a half hours to Melbourne. Echo Sabre and Vulcan Spectre are both preparing to deploy.”

Charlotte and Herc shared a look. When they were both in residence they would switch out for who took command. This morning neither wanted to give up the control so they both barked out a quick, “understood.” Marina grit her teeth. The Category IV certainly warranted the attention of both Hansens, but as former copilots, the father and daughter had an uncanny ability to finish each other’s sentences. It creeped her out. That all the Jaeger pilot teams did it didn’t make her life easy sometimes. Saori Sama and Werner Kepler’s voices broke over the comms drawing Dvorak’s attention back to her screens. 

“Echo Sabre calibrated. Ready for the big drop, LOCCENT.” The tandem speaking made Marina shiver. 

Hogan Travers and Christine Hugo echoed the same information a moment later from Vulcan. Charlotte stood on one side and kept a visual on the Jaeger pilots’ vitals and drift stability. Herc took up position to watch the Kaiju’s progress towards Melbourne. The grating sound of the Jaeger bay roof opening took precedence for a moment as two Jumphawk teams prepared for the ninety-minute flight to Melbourne. 

Chuck sat in the back of LOCCENT calmly feeding Stella with a baggie of Cheerios she’d remembered in his left pocket. He listened to the chatter from his fellow Jaeger pilots. Charlotte and Herc were focused on the broad strokes, but Chuck’s job was to listen for the details.

The next two hours passed in a tense rush of activity. And when Spinejackal appeared on the Miracle Mile, Chuck zeroed in on the video-feed from the jumphawks. Echo and Vulcan stood in the Bass Straits as silent sentinels. Hearing the collective curses from all four pilots, he studied their faces in the feeds from the conn-pods. None of them looked confident, the recent losses weighing heavy on the veteran pilots.

Spinejackal (1) wasn’t the biggest Category IV ever, but it was outfitted with wicked looking spikes all the way down its back and tail. As the Kaiju rose from the waters to face off with Echo and Vulcan, Saori let out a string of curses in Japanese. Spinejackal moved insanely fast too. It was clear within seconds that this Kaiju was too much for the Jaegers. Charlotte looked to her father as Chuck was already handing his niece off to a LOCCENT tech behind them.

“Fuck.” He whispered. “Yeah, go. I’ll call Stacker. Just be careful.” 

Charlotte squeezed her father’s shoulder and bolted after her brother for the Jaeger bay. She caught up to him as they both ran, Echo and Vulcan could only hold the Kaiju for so long. 

“You ready for this?” She asked. 

“Not really.”

“We’ll be fine.”

“Haven’t drifted in a long time, Charlie.”

“Yeah.” She huffed out as they rounded a corner, still running. “Just leave it wide open. I’ll hold back anything too heavy.”

“More worried about you rabbiting. Dad and I don’t exactly have the easiest drift.”

“I’ll manage.”

They slammed to a halt in the prep room and quickly set to shucking their clothes. The drivesuit techs were waiting for them and the siblings managed to suit up in less than five minutes. The quick jog into Striker’s conn-pod had them both gearing up for the fight. They’d finally be piloting together. Locked in to their harnesses and clear, Charlotte radioed LOCCENT. 

“Striker Eureka ready to engage the drift.”

The drift plowed into Charlotte and Chuck like a freight train. They both pulled back the heaviest of their emotional baggage and watched each other through their helmets as all the stress of the last couple years ran rampant through their heads. Neither of them rabbited. Even with all the weight holding them down, they were still the Hansen siblings. They belonged in a Jaeger together. 

“Right hemisphere calibrated.” Marina’s voice echoed in the conn-pod. Chuck smirked, he loved beating his sister. 

“Left hemisphere calibrated.” Came a second later though, and Charlotte graced him with a smile that’d make a Great White think twice. 

“Striker Eureka ready for the big drop.” She called out. 

The conn-pod disengaged and plummeted down towards the waiting body of Striker. Herc watched stoically from LOCCENT. Less than ten minutes passed since his children left for the Jaeger bay. He glanced at their drift recordings. It’d taken twenty seconds for them to calibrate the drift. The readings were holding at near ninety-eight percent. 

Before he could ponder his kids’ impressive feat, Chris Hugo’s voice broke into LOCCENT. Vulcan was in trouble. Spinejackal had the Australian Jaeger pinned down on the beach its tail beating wicked spines into the Jaeger’s midsection. Echo landed a blow that threw the monster off the struggling Vulcan and the two Jaeger teams stood firm between the Kaiju and the city of Melbourne. 

“Echo, Vulcan. We have activated Striker Eureka. Hold the line for as long as you can. Help is on the way.” Herc radioed, attempting to sound encouraging. The answers he got from his Rangers were relieved. 

Werner’s face lit up with wicked glee on the screens. “ _Dieser Flachwischer_ will not cross us. Send Striker to finish this. _Wir halten die Linie._ ” 

“Yeah, Marshal.” Hogan piped up. “I’d like to see this mongrel try. Send your kids, mate. We’ll butter this bastard up.” 

The comms went silent after that as both Jaegers dove back in to hold Spinejackal to the Miracle Mile. Herc looked up into the Jaeger bay to see Striker lifting off through the roof. He’d ordered an extra jumphawk squadron in to make the travel time shorter. The pilots insisted they could get to Melbourne in forty minutes. Lieutenant Barnes was in command, though, and Herc knew the man would push the choppers hard to get there sooner. 

Inside Striker’s conn-pod, Charlotte and Chuck monitored the fight. They threw strategies and specifications back and forth through the drift as they watched the Kaiju. Echo was a Mark IV and Vulcan a Mark III, they were fast and piloted by veterans. This Kaiju was faster and using targeted hits in an attempt to disable its opponents. 

The jumphawks did manage to beat their projected time. Striker landed in the waters off Melbourne thirty-two minutes after leaving Sydney. Charlotte and Chuck locked the Jaeger’s sting blades into position and activated their chest rockets. Echo and Vulcan were down, escape pods activated, and Spinejackal was swimming quickly for the Bass Straits. Striker was now the only Jaeger between the Kaiju and the city. 

Needing a clear shot, Charlotte sounded their battle horn. Chuck managed not to frown at her use of a Becket technique. Spinejackal reared up and whipped its tail around. Several of its spines launched for the Jaeger and Striker managed to dodge all but one which lodged in the right shoulder. 

Charlotte and Chuck roared. They launched Striker’s K-Stunner rockets. Herc and Chuck preferred to use the rockets as a finishing move against the Kaiju, pummeling the bastards into pulp first. Echo and Vulcan had already done that and Charlotte loved to make an entrance. Spinejackal took all six straight in the chest. The Kaiju bellowed, its toxic blood pouring out of its wounds, and barreled towards Striker. 

It leapt into the air and drove the Jaeger down into the water. Charlotte and Chuck swung the right sting blade into its neck and sliced open a huge gash. They managed to plant their feet on the seabed and roll the Kaiju in the water. Chuck drove his own blade deep into Spinejackal’s face as Charlotte grabbed onto the Kaiju’s tail. Half a dozen spines launched directly for the conn-pod and the Hansens barely managed to duck Striker’s head in time. The giant mecha and Kaiju wrestled in the water for an eternity, exchanging blows that rocked the siblings in their harnesses. 

They finally threw the Kaiju off of and scrambled Striker to its feet. They exchanged a glance in the conn-pod and turned to face the monster. Striker settled into a boxer’s open stance and swaggered towards Spinejackal. The Kaiju was confused by the relaxed posture and tilted its head in confusion. 

Striker activated all of its impressive speed and launched at the Kaiju. The Jaeger’s right leg came out of the water and kicked Spinejackal in the head, sending it spinning. Before it could settle, Striker’s left fist connected with its face and drove the sting blade deep into its eyes. Chuck uncurled the left fist and grabbed a chunk of the Kaiju’s bottom jaw. Charlotte responded by slicing downwards at the weaponized tail and cutting it off. 

Spinejackal howled and pushed the Jaeger away. Spines along its back flexed and the Kaiju spun its body to launch them at the Jaeger. Striker took four in the chest and one in the hip, causing both pilots to scream. They’d both have new feedback scarring. But they didn’t let the pain stop them. A quick sweep of the sting blades and the spines were dislodged. 

Striker swung a hard right hook at the Kaiju and sliced between armor plating on its belly. The left side followed and suddenly the Jaeger was attached firmly to its opponent. The Hansens planted Striker’s feet and twisted to throw the Kaiju over their head. Spinejackal flew several hundred yards back out to sea and landed in a huge splash. It didn’t reemerge. 

“LOCCENT. Location on the bastard.” Chuck barked across the comms. 

“Hold on, Striker.” Marina answered. 

Charlotte and Chuck looked at each other and dropped into a ready stance. The last Kaiju to disappear like this was Knifehead. Neither Hansen wanted to think about that though. 

“Striker,” Herc’s voice came over the comms. “On your four o’clock. Coming up fast.”

Striker turned and bent a knee as Spinejackal launched from the water. Both sting blades connected with the Kaiju’s belly and sliced it open. The toxic blood rained down on Striker as the Jaeger disemboweled the monster. Before it could sink beneath the waves, Charlotte and Chuck clamped down on the tail stump and hauled the Kaiju up. They tossed the corpse up onto the spit of land next to Fort Nepean and decapitated it. 

“Spinejackal down.” Charlotte chirped over the comms. 

Herc exhaled hard. A tech handed his granddaughter off as he balanced on his crutches and she immediately set about babbling at him. He caught a look from Marina over Stella’s shoulder and frowned. “What?”

“That’s the fastest Kaiju kill on record. Echo and Vulcan engaged at 5:07. Striker landed on the Miracle Mile at 6:03.” Herc glanced over at the clock behind him which read 8:34. “They never faltered in the drift once, Vice-Marshal.”

Herc sighed. “She won’t stay in that pod, Marina. She can’t.”

He knew better than anyone that his daughter wasn’t holding it together as well as people thought. She’d done alright today, but if there was a next time…He didn’t want to think about it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 1) Spinejackal reference work: Moloch by WretchedSpawn2012  
> http://wretchedspawn2012.deviantart.com/art/Kaiju-Moloch-513590391


	19. You Know The Truth Can Be A Weapon

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Originally posted 23 June 2017. Fully edited and Beta'd by 25 December 2017. 
> 
> I posted this chapter under duress originally. It's still not my favorite, but the tone is right and the characters sound okay in my head. It's a necessary chapter, but it just feels clunky to me. On the bright side, our villains get some comeuppance. Mama Staughton is no slouch. Mako gets to finish her father's mission. Raleigh and Chuck get to loom menacingly. This is a chapter about bureaucracy, it's not all that exciting.

\-----April 23, 2025----

**1100 HRS, United Nations Headquarters, New York City, New York, United States**

Charlotte and Hercules Hansen filed into the conference room where the entire Pacific Defense Committee was gathered. Mako followed them carrying her tablet and a briefcase full of the requisite documents. Raleigh and Chuck tailed behind, thunderous expressions on their faces, appearing to be especially dangerous bodyguards.

The five Rangers crossed the threshold, body language changing immediately. Gone were the people who’d charmingly received delegates from two dozen countries as they thanked the Rangers for their service. In their places were five people ready to go to war. Their opponents sat on the far end of the conference table. 

Ambassador Luther Cole appeared to be as spineless as usual while Taylor exuded the typical cocksure attitude that most American politicians favored. Both men had spent the morning fielding angry phone calls from their superiors about the media storm that erupted the day before. Ian Staughton sat comfortably behind both men glaring at the group. The media campaign meant he’d spent the whole morning reassuring both ambassadors, and most of the committee that their course of action was right. He’d also had to call his father and have the man fly to New York in case things got out of hand. 

Tatiana sat in the middle of the table, holding court with the French and German Ambassadors. She quieted down as the Rangers set up at the end of the table, quirking an eyebrow as Charlotte took the head seat. With Herc and Mako flanking her, the Australian made a formidable image. Adding in her brother and Raleigh created a tableau that was museum-worthy. A couple of the ambassadors in attendance groaned internally at the sight. Whenever Vice-Marshal Hansen made a silent statement, many more loud ones were sure to follow. 

Ambassador Leonard Taylor called the meeting to order and faced down the much younger woman across the table from him. For all that he was a double-dealing backstabbing ass, Taylor never showed an ounce of weakness. Not even the undisguised disdain from Mako Mori made the man falter. 

“First on the agenda, today,” the American began. “Is the continued funding of the PPDC. Vice-Marshal Hansen provided us all with extensive packets prior to this meeting regarding the viability of the Jaeger program as a humanitarian and research entity. I leave the floor open for you Ms. Hansen.”

Charlotte stood and slid a holographic screen projector in front of her. It lit up to show the seafloor of the Marianas Trench, where the Breach was now closed. 

“Ambassadors, the Breach is closed. I think it is a safe assumption that most of you are feeling a bit guilty about defunding the Jaeger program in the face of our overwhelming success.” Charlotte let the insult hang. It wasn’t aimed at all the diplomats in the room and several of their supporters even turned to outright glare at Taylor and Cole. “The packets I sent you to read are also worthless for anything except what we plan to do in the future. In light of the news that broke yesterday which attests to corruption in this committee I think we should reevaluate the agenda. The only thing on it today should be the dissolution of the Pacific Defense Committee as the governing body of the PPDC.”

The tension in the room skyrocketed as all the delegates subtly shifted away from Cole and Taylor. Suddenly it was clear that they were likely the only members of the sixteen delegate committee who were _not_ voting for whatever suggestions came out of Charlotte Hansen’s mouth. 

“That is absurd, Ms. Hansen.” Ambassador Cole piped up in a rare display of bravery. “The PPDC only exists through a special UN charter.”

“It is _Vice-Marshal Hansen_ , Ambassador Cole.” Charlotte said politely. Only her eyes betrayed her rage. “And you are wrong. The PPDC is classified as a private military contractor governed by this committee. As a private entity we are entitled to dissolve our connection to the United Nations, provided that our host countries sign individual treaties with us. Every country represented in this room has done just that.” 

Mako produced a stack of documents from her briefcase and set them on the table as Charlotte finished speaking. Fourteen diplomats all smirked at the US and UK ambassadors who were now flustered and gaping like fish. Taylor recovered first, outrage all over his face. 

“The United States has signed no such treaty.”

“Wrong again, Ambassador, the President signed this congressionally ratified treaty three weeks ago.” Charlotte said, handing a copy over to an aide de camp. “And the Prime Minister signed this copy just ten days ago, Ambassador Cole.”

Both men accepted the thick sheaths of paper and frantically flipped through them. Charlotte let them come to terms with her coup d’état. She caught Ian’s eye and couldn’t resist smiling evilly at him. His handsome face was twisted up into a horrendous scowl and he was glaring daggers at her. Charlotte broke his gaze with a little chuckle and looked to Tatiana. The Russian ambassador cleared her throat silencing the minimal chatter that had broken out. 

“I would like to make a motion.”

Taylor, still shell shocked, took a moment to remember he was chairman of the committee. He didn’t raise his head, still flipping through the copy of the treaty.

“The Chair recognizes Ambassador Grigorovich.”

“Thank you.” Tatiana responded politely. She then glanced at the Chinese and Australian ambassadors. “I have here,” one of her aide de camps produced a thick sheath of papers. “Evidence that the committee’s chair and vice-chair have been receiving illegal profits from the construction of the Wall of Life.”

The former FSB agent let her words sink in, confident that she was turning the last few ambassadors over to her side. It was one thing for the media to accuse the two men of malfeasance, but for another member of the committee to do so meant there was truth to the statements. A quick glance down the table showed Herc and Charlotte fully ready to exercise their voting powers. 

“Since these actions clearly violate their own countries laws, as well as the charter for this committee, I move for a vote of no confidence to replace Ambassadors Taylor and Cole as the chair and vice-chair of this committee.”

“I second this motion.” The Chinese and Australian Ambassadors, Fa Ming-Hao and Patricia Witson, said at the same time. 

Cole blanched and clasped a hand to his chest. Taylor ground his teeth and, not so subtly, glanced behind him to Ian. The remaining fourteen delegates broke out into conversation simultaneously. Charlotte and Herc shared a smile with Tatiana. 

“As I have two supporters for this motion, I believe we may vote now. Of course I am happy to table the issue until after everyone has ample opportunity to study the evidence.”

The New Zealand and Filipino delegates both reached for Tatiana’s stack of paper. 

“I would like time to read this information as well.” The Mexican ambassador stated. Tatiana’s aide produced sixteen identical copies and passed them around. 

“Ambassador Taylor, I do believe that the motion should be tabled.” Tatiana smiled at the glowering man. 

“Agreed. Motion tabled until after lunch.” 

Fa Ming-Hao piped up before Taylor could launch into an impromptu speech defending himself. “We have not deliberated Vice-Marshal Hansen’s request.”

“She made no request.”

“I believe she requested we deliberate the dissolution of this committee.”

Ian Staughton growled and only a firm glare from Taylor shut him up. Charlotte smirked at him from the other side of the room. 

“I did make that request, Ambassador Taylor.”

“This committee can only be dissolved under special circumstances, Ms. Hansen.” Cole interjected, his temper finally overwhelming his cowardice. The pompous ass glared hard at the Rangers. 

“I have a job title, same as you, _Ambassador._ I would appreciate it if you could use it.”

The man cowered again under the weight of five Rangers and a dozen delegates glaring at him. “My apologies, Vice-Marshal.”

“Thank you. You are correct, though. This committee was formed under extreme circumstances and can only be dissolved so long as particular parameters are met.” Charlotte gestured to the packets each ambassador now had before them. “As I said before, ladies and gentlemen, the Breach is closed. The PPDC has access to private funding as well as subsidies from several countries with whom we now hold independent treaties. The immediate threat of the Kaiju has been repelled and the corps can fund itself without UN involvement meeting two of the required parameters. The committee’s charter requires three to be met.

“The Chair and Vice-Chair,” she paused to level the two men in question with a fierce look. “Have met the third. In addition to Ambassador Grigorovich’s evidence, I have a dozen signed affidavits from current and former PPDC personnel, who worked in the Jaeger program and on the Wall of Life, attesting to misconduct from Ambassadors Taylor and Cole. I have also provided each of you with transcripts of audio recordings made over the past five years in which various high-ranking PPDC officials and the Ambassadors in question, as well as Mr. Staughton, repeatedly discussed the PPDC’s request to seek outside funding and were denied for varying reasons. These requests were never brought before this committee as the Chair and Vice-Chair were required to do under the charter. With the committee’s leadership in clear violation of the charter, I move that this committee be dissolved forthwith.”

The room erupted into chaos. The committee’s members all began shouting over one another at either Charlotte, Taylor, Cole, or their staff. Herc and Mako, seated across from each other, grinned and began fielding questions. Raleigh and Chuck stood and flanked Charlotte to keep her from hitting anyone or the various staff members from jostling her as they ran around. 

Ian Staughton stayed viciously silent, refusing to answer the questions of any committee member. Instead he glared hatefully at Charlotte. Taylor and Cole frantically tried to talk themselves out of the barrage of vitriol aimed their way. Eventually, as the Rangers countered every point with evidence, the ambassadors began furiously whispering with each other and their staff, rifling through the various stacks of paper provided to them. Tatiana and her Chinese and Australian counterparts divided the table into thirds and began cheerfully relaying helpful anecdotes of misconduct on the parts of the US and UK ambassadors. Hours of this passed, and as the last aide filed back into the room laden down with paperwork and more than one copy of their tailor-made news articles, Charlotte took command of the room once more. 

“Ambassadors!” She called calmly. “I believe it is time to break for lunch. We have been here for three hours.”

“Meeting adjourned until three o’clock.” Taylor ordered before anyone could speak. He and Cole practically ran from the room, their staff weighed down by pounds of paperwork the delegates had dumped on them. 

The rest of the committee hung back to listen to Tatiana hold court. She subtly worked the delegates into a frenzy against the need for Taylor, Cole, or the committee. Then with a firm order for all of them to reread the PPDC’s packet for its future, she led the Rangers from the conference room. They were nearly to her office when Ian Staughton appeared at the back of the group and pulled the lagging Charlotte away. 

“Oi!” She shouted, drawing the rest of the group’s attention. “Hands off me, you rootin’ clacker.”

Raleigh and Chuck were instantly at her side, pulling her away as Mako stepped in between her friend and the former Ranger. Herc and Tatiana held back to keep Tatiana’s security occupied. No one wanted to start a fight in the halls. 

“You bloody bint! How dare you!” The man’s normally handsome face was twisted into a scowl that would curdle milk. 

“Did I hurt your feelings there, Ian?” Charlotte snapped back, all smiles at the sight of his anger. 

“The PPDC was _mine!_ You twats were supposed to die! How dare you accuse me of misconduct! You never deserved to be in a Jaeger! You’re a bloody Jafa who never learned her place.” Ian babbled. He shouted at Charlotte for several moments until the entirely unexpected form of Georgina Staughton emerged from around the corner. 

The Air Chief Marshal, now retired, listened to the tail end of her son’s rant with a terrifying scowl on her face. Charlotte’s eyes widened as the petite woman marched forward and cuffed her son. Ian flailed and nearly hit his mother, who sidestepped him deftly and cuffed him again. 

“You utter wanker. I raised you better than this. You and your bloody father are a menace!” The woman’s incredibly posh accent made the anger, well angrier, in Chuck’s opinion. “I am ashamed of you. This is the bloody goddamned United Nations, you prick. Now leave my sight before I haul you out of here by your ears.”

Ian stalked off quickly. Georgina Staughton watched her son go with a vicious expression on her face. Once he cleared the corner, she rounded on the group of Rangers and Tatiana. 

“I take it the meeting went well.” She asked, sweetness and honey covering the steel in her voice. “My ex-husband will be frothing at the mouth by this afternoon, no doubt.” 

Raleigh looked at Chuck for clarification. He never anticipated this woman being on their side. Last he heard, Georgina Staughton was insisting Stella’s paternity test be redone. Chuck just shook his head and, with Tatiana, began leading the group towards the ambassador’s office once more. Herc and Charlotte filled Georgina on the way. 

Raleigh spent all of their lunch break in Tatiana’s office feeling incredibly out of touch. Five years away meant that he’d completely missed Georgina Staughton retiring from the RAF and subsequently divorcing her husband. She spent her time working as a security chief for the UN and feeding Tatiana information about her ex-husband and son’s activities. Apparently Stella also adored her Grandma Georgie. But the food was good and the conversation informational. His part in this play was the chorus. He and Chuck were simply meant to stand by, speaking only to ensure the audience never forgot the outcome. 

The march back to the PDC meeting room was jubilant. With Georgina on site, along with several UN security guards, they were sure to leave the meeting unscathed. After that, Herc would deliver a speech before the General Assembly announcing the formal departure of the PPDC and their day was done. Tatiana already had her house in London prepared for them to escape New York. 

The sight that met them in the conference room however, did not inspire their confidence. Both Staughton men now flanked Taylor and Cole. Thomas Staughton’s haughty features shared none of the lethal grace his wife bore. Instead he looked like a particularly peeved panther. Mako glanced to her copilot, the ghost drift had faded a bit in the months since Pitfall, but the utter contempt she felt translated loud and clear to Raleigh without her stoic mask breaking once. Raleigh planted his own mask on and with a quick squeeze to Chuck’s hand took up position flanking Charlotte as she remained standing before the assembled committee. 

Chuck’s own façade relied heavily on his anger. A scowling Hansen was predictable to everyone in the room, hell the world, but hard to read beyond the condescending snarl. Herc and Mako returned to their seats, but Chuck stood on his sister’s left. He appreciated that Raleigh took up position on her right without question. He’d done so earlier as well and Chuck knew it meant they were working back to the closeness they’d once shared. Not that Raleigh would have stood anywhere else, despite his issues with Charlotte, bastard was incredibly loyal. 

But that was something to ponder later. Now, Chuck glared hard at his niece’s father and grandfather. He was glad Georgina appeared earlier, both men were completely bloody terrified of her. That she was employed by the UN meant she wielded enough power to toss them out on their heads should things get nasty. 

The way Tatiana commanded the room and the disgusted looks most of the delegates levelled on Taylor and Cole left Chuck confident, though. Fa Ming-Hao and Patricia Witson were positively giddy as well. The two had campaigned for years to oust Taylor as chairman of the committee and now they had their chance. 

Charlotte surveyed the room, her gaze commanding silence. Taylor stood to challenge her hold over the room, fueled only by his bravado and need to save face. The middle-aged man stared her down, silently commanding her to sit. She refused to kowtow and remained standing. 

“This meeting is called to order.” Taylor finally said, succumbing to Hansen stubbornness. “I take it you would like the floor, Vice-Marshal Hansen?”

“I would, Ambassador, thank you.”

“The floor is yours.” The man ground out and collapsed into his chair with an angry huff. 

“Before lunch I laid out three reasons why this committee should be dissolved as the governing body of the PPDC. I now move for a vote on this matter. All those in favor of removing the Pan Defense Committee as the central authority for the PPDC, raise your hand.”

Charlotte’s hand shot up, as did Herc’s, they both received a vote thanks to the changes Krieger managed to make to the charter before his death. The hands of twelve delegates followed. The German and Chilean ambassadors both kept their hands down. 

“Those opposed?” Charlotte asked after the committee’s secretary recorded the votes into her Dictaphone. 

Two hands went up. Taylor and Cole. The men shared defeated glances with each other and slumped backwards. 

Charlotte eyed the German and Chilean ambassadors. “Those abstaining from the vote?”

They both raised their hands. The Vice-Marshal understood completely. Both countries benefited greatly from the PPDC and the UN’s continued involvement in the corps. However, Chile also signed an independent treaty with the PPDC and would reap the benefits of that as well. Germany manufactured most of the J-Tech and two of the country’s four largest companies, and employers, were now the sole suppliers of drift technology to the PPDC. 

“The motion passes.” Charlotte intoned, barely managing to keep a gleeful smile off her face. She took her seat, Raleigh and Chuck following suit behind her. 

“I believe that leaves the matter of the committee’s leadership as our only tabled item, chairman?” Tatiana asked politely. 

Taylor gulped. “This committee is no longer actively involved in its primary function, Ambassador Grigorovich. Surely this vote is unnecessary?”

“On the contrary, sir. The PDC’s primary function is to oversee the defense of our planet from Kaiju incursion. This committee may now operate independently from its original function. We are fully capable of using our funding to support advances in Kaiju and Anteverse research and rebuilding decimated cities around the Pacific Rim. The PPDC is no longer our primary focus and so, we, as is our chartered function, may stand aside and focus on peaceful ways to combat the Kaiju.”

“Yes, well. Um. You have a point, ambassador. The floor is yours.”

“Thank you, chairman. I believe I have made my point. Now, however, I move for a vote of no-confidence in Chairman Taylor and Vice-Chairman Cole.” Tatiana surveyed the table. “All those in favor of removing both ambassadors from their positions, raise a hand.”

Sixteen hands raised angrily into the air. Taylor and Cole themselves were forbidden from voting on matters involving themselves. They frowned at the results. 

“The motion passes unanimously.” Tatiana said, smiling. 

Herc took a moment for the whispering to start before he tapped the table and gained everyone’s attention. “I move for an immediate vote installing Ambassador Fa as Chairman and Ambassador Witson as vice-chair.” 

“I second the motion.” The German ambassador said quickly. The whispering intensified, but no one challenged the motion. 

“A vote then,” Herc began. “All those in favor?”

Twelve hands raised. Taylor and Cole abstained and Fa and Witson couldn’t vote. Herc grinned, reminding everyone at the table of a crocodile. “Motion passes.” 

Chairman Fa stood and thanked everyone quickly. “And as my first act as chairman of this committee, I formally adjourn this meeting. We will reconvene in six-months-time.”

Again, Taylor and Cole hurried out of the room. The Staughtons did not however. Both men stalked towards the five Rangers, fury on their faces. Before they could reach them, the security guards stepped up and escorted both men out. Charlotte snorted and buried her face in Chuck’s shoulder as she laughed. A few happy tears escaped as well. 

Mako pulled Raleigh aside for her own hug and whispered to him about Sensei’s final mission in Japanese. Her home country’s ambassador overheard and stepped in to congratulate the young woman on her success. He assured her that she honored not only her family, but Japan as well with her fierce determination. A few tears, he reminded her, were not beneath her, but a sign that she successfully completed her mission. Raleigh pulled her close again after the man stepped away, telling himself to learn the man’s name and send him a very appreciative thank-you letter on his copilot’s behalf. 

Herc interrupted their celebrations a moment later. “Alright, we’ve got a short amount of time here. Move out, ya bludgers.” 

The group filed out of the room and down to the main lobby of the building where they were happy to find UN security officials putting the Staughtons in handcuffs. Taylor and Cole were also being detained. NYPD officers hovered, obviously waiting on permission to take custody of the men. Most of the PDC stood by watching the tableau. With the General Assembly in session, dozens of other diplomats witnessed the arrests as well. 

Charlotte watched Ian led away in handcuffs and prayed for the first time since Scissure. She hoped that somehow Stacker could see this. Five long years of loss and suffering finally meant something and Pentecost’s final mission was complete. The PPDC survived and, without these men around to bully and manipulate those in charge, it could thrive. 

Ian cast one long look her way that promised retribution, but she just smiled in return. For five years his shadow loomed large over her life, dictating her decisions. Now she finally had the upper hand on him and could win the battles he started with her. 

The monsters from the Breach had repeatedly threatened everything and everyone she loved. Human fear and ineptitude nearly ensured their demise. With the public on their side again and power in their hands, Charlotte was certain she could win the war she’d been fighting half her life.


	20. Eye Of A Hurricane, Listen To Yourself Churn

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Originally posted 23 June 2017. Fully edited and Beta'd by 25 December 2017. (Kept the original note. Rinko's face is hilarious. Absolutely hilarious. Also, *KaijuScienceBrosFTW*)
> 
> Okay, so rewatched PacRim the other day while working on edits and caught the spectacular expression on Rinko Kikuchi's face when Raleigh meets Newt for the first time in the lift. 
> 
> I somehow missed that until now. A plot bunny beat me up over it and I managed to rework what popped out to make it part of the plot. Besides our beloved doctors haven't had nearly enough screen time in this story and I apologize for that. They've definitely been running roughshod in the subplot you guys never see. 
> 
> For full enjoyment of Mako Mori almost losing her shit in an elevator, please go to 3:02 on this video and enjoy. 
> 
> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_YVlAvgQbwI
> 
> Also, Idris Elba is a gem.

\-----June 2, 2022-----

**2100 HRS, Kwoon, Vladivostok Shatterdome, Vladivostok, Russia**

Mako Mori was furious with herself. For six long years she’d worked hard to earn her place as a Jaeger pilot. Six years of Sensei’s insistent teachings urging her to control the fear and rage in her soul and turn it on the monsters who took her family. Six years. Six. 

She stumbled out of her obsessive run through of the forty-second Jaeger Bushido position and broke her own train of thought. The bo-staff in her hand suffered the consequences as she swung it down hard against the mat with a barely controlled snarl. 

Six years of work and she’d ruined it with her impulsive behavior. 

She’d never see the inside of a conn-pod now. 

The bo-staff connected repeatedly with the floor before flying across the room. Mako dropped to a heap on the floor whispering to herself.

When Dr. Hermann Gottlieb finally found the young woman several minutes later, all he could hear of her mumblings were the repetitive exclamations of “Baka,” “Bloody idiot,” and “fucking drongo.” He tried not to smile as the young woman berated herself so fiercely, but her cultural cross-steps were amusing. 

He cleared his throat after a few moments, once he was sure she didn’t notice him come in. Mako shot up and bowed to him, attempting to show the doctor the respect she’d lacked earlier. 

“Miss Mori, may I trouble you to accompany me back to my lab? I have some data that may be of use to you.” Mako frowned and Dr. Gottlieb raised a placating hand, his other firmly gripping his cane. “Rest assured we will be the only occupants.”

Mako huffed but fixed the co-director of the K-Science Department with a confident stare. “Of course, Dr. Gottlieb. I apologize…”

“None are necessary, Miss Mori.”

The two fell into a tense silence as they trekked to the lifts that would take them the two levels down to the labs. The silence continued inside the elevator. Dr. Gottlieb paused to key in the passcode to the door and looked at her. 

“If he has snuck back in, I will happily dispatch him myself this time.” The normally grumpy man had a terrifying attempt at sympathy written on his face. Mako couldn’t hide her frown, but she did grace the doctor with a firm nod and a small grin. His reputation for a lack of social niceties was notorious. That he was attempting with her spoke volumes of his respect for her. Mako could only endeavor to return that respect. 

The lab door opened and the room was blessedly silent. The faint gurgling of experiments and specimen containers alongside the hum of computers was the only noise. Dr. Gottlieb visibly relaxed at the sight of his empty lab and beckoned the young pilot to follow him inside. Once the door shut he rekeyed another new passcode just to be sure, then gestured for the girl to take a seat near his chalkboard. He handed her a tablet that contained the new modeling data for upgrades to the armor of the Mark III and IV Jaegers. 

Mako complied and sank into the surprisingly comfortable desk chair as Dr. Gottlieb climbed back up his stool and began working on one of his equations again. She studied the new models Gottlieb produced for her, searching for a way to outpace the Kaiju’s ability to tear through Jaegers like butter. They stayed in comfortable silence for nearly an hour. Eventually, Mako’s eyes wandered across the line that split the lab down the middle. The specimens floating in tanks drew her attention like a moth to flame. 

Dozens of pieces of the monsters that killed her family littered the other side of the room. All of them grisly reminders that Kaiju _could_ be killed but not without great risk first. As she studied the remains she tried to find the patterns in the chaos that made up Dr. Geiszler’s half of the lab. Papers and coffee cups were stacked haphazardly on every available surface. Figurines of Godzilla and Mothra decorated work tables. The only areas that were sterile contained half-dissected Kaiju remains. Those areas were carefully separated and labelled as were the various containers with floating parts. 

“We have known each other a long time, Dr. Geiszler and I.” Dr. Gottlieb said from his chalkboard, startling Mako. “We were the wunderkind. I was whisked off to prestigious British boarding schools and he to Cambridge, Massachusetts. Our parents took us from our homes in Germany to foster our intellect. My parents are not cold, but my siblings and I were raised by nannies. Dr. Geiszler’s parents were broken by his genius. His father and uncle tried to fill the hole his mother left with music and classic monster cinema. When Trespasser attacked San Francisco, he contacted me through a colleague and we emailed one another for years.”

Mako had nothing to say to the slightly fond look twitching Dr. Gottlieb’s lips as he continued to work on his equations five feet up a ladder. She knew what he was trying to do, though. She appreciated the effort. 

“I hated him on sight when I finally met him in person. I could not reconcile the passionate brilliance of the fellow scientist I knew so well, with the frenetic little troll I met four years later. Nor could I accept that the beautiful woman on his arm could possibly appreciate his company. We fought within moments and didn’t speak again for nearly a year. The beautiful woman, however, somehow found me interesting enough to speak to and that is how Vanessa and I met.”

Mako smiled openly at the slightly dopey grin on his face. The _other_ Dr. Gottlieb was indeed a beautiful woman. She’d gotten bored with Academia early in her studies and left a lucrative position as a robotics engineer in London to become a supermodel. She was incredibly successful and Mako could remember the woman’s face gracing her television screen and billboards more than once as a child. 

But Trespasser truly did change the world. Robotics geniuses like Vanessa were tapped to fast-track the Jaeger program and, though she loved her career, modeling couldn’t save the world from giant monsters. Many people still made the mistake of demeaning Vanessa’s career choices or calling her Hermann’s trophy wife. They were quickly disabused of the notion that their sexism would be tolerated. Mako knew Vanessa Gottlieb fairly well at this point, having consulted with her repeatedly as a J-Tech on Eden Assassin and Cherno Alpha. Her husband was a new addition to the Vladivostok Dome. 

And unfortunately, wherever the two Drs. Gottlieb went, Dr. Geiszler followed. 

“You are a remarkable young woman, Miss Mori. My unfortunate lab partner recognizes this. He does.” Gottlieb insisted at Mako’s incredulous look. “But he is a distasteful fiend with no respect for the destruction the Kaiju have wrought upon us. You were right to hit him. I frequently refrain from doing so and it was refreshing to see him punished for his insensitivity and frankly disgusting display. He is a Kaiju groupie of the worst kind.”

Mako kept her face impassive even as distaste curled across Dr. Gottlieb’s features. She knew that Dr. Gottlieb wouldn’t lie to her. The man was painfully and brutally honest, with as little regard for others’ feelings as Newton Geiszler, but she could not reconcile his obvious dislike for his partner with the explanations he felt necessary for Geiszler’s behavior. 

“I do not understand why you work with him, Dr. Gottlieb.”

The man sighed heavily. “He is a genius. Something you will never hear me repeat again, Miss Mori. Newton’s greatest flaws are also what make him a brilliant scientist. And his ghastly habits bring out the worst in me. Which means I turn that anger on my work and push through the numbers. I am also one of only two people in the world that Newton calls a friend. He is an appalling lab partner and unhealthily attached to the Kaiju destroying our world, but his passion, nauseating as it is, forces me to work harder.

“I think he truly understands that he upset you today. The broken nose would not have been his first clue, unfortunately. And I will not apologize on his behalf. But I will implore you to accept his apology when he delivers it. You do not need to like him Miss Mori, nor do you need to promise to never inflict violence on his person again. All I ask is that you respect his results, not his methods or personality.”

Mako stayed silent long enough that Dr. Gottlieb turned back to his chalkboard and scratched out a foot and a half’s worth of equations. She considered his assessment of Dr. Geiszler with all the dispassionate objectivity Sensei taught her. She knew she was wrong to have broken the scientist’s nose. Knew it was an instinctual reaction to inflict pain on those who did the same to her. 

She also knew that Charlotte would praise her for the action. Her teacher despised Newton Geiszler and his obscene fascination with the Kaiju. Charlotte was her friend and Mako knew she could easily trust her in battle, but outside of a Jaeger the Vice-Marshal was a soldier through and through. Exactly like her father. And Mako was intimately familiar with the stress that caused on the Hansen family. Too many soldiers. Chuck’s complete inability to behave like a normal human being was proof of that. 

Sensei had already made a disappointed phone call to her. His repeated urging to control her emotions falling on receptive but seething ears. She needed to speak with her younger brother. Jacob would know what to do, he always helped her, despite the tense relationship with Sensei and their age difference. In the meantime, Dr. Gottlieb was waiting on a response. 

“I will do my best.”

“That is all I ask, Miss Mori. Have a good evening.”

Mako took the dismissal and left the lab. Moments like this, where her training failed her, when her emotions reigned supreme, she felt less like the capable pilot and J-Tech she knew she was and more like the little girl lost on the streets of Tokyo as Onibaba chased her. 

Mako knew she was capable and that she would avenge her family. She _knew_ this. But her emotions betrayed her skills too often. They overrode her ability to think and made her do stupid things like _punch Dr. Geiszler in the face._

He deserved it. She knew that. He knew that. Dr. Gottlieb knew that. He should never have confronted her about Onibaba. Especially not while she was busy working on the digital upgrades to Cherno with both Drs. Gottlieb. And certainly not while he was covered to his shoulders in Kaiju blue blood that he snidely said matched the exact shade of blue in her hair. 

When he stepped into her personal space and said the monster that killed her parents was one of the most beautiful things he’d ever seen, that was a mistake. She lost control and she hit him. 

Mako rounded the corner on the barracks level and found herself watching a rather intense scene. The gentle giant, Aleksis Kaidonovsky, had Dr. Geiszler pinned against Mako’s door. The smaller man’s feet were dangling a full two feet off the ground and Sasha Kaidonovsky leaned comfortably on the far wall. 

Aleksis was grumbling very slowly, but menacingly, in perfect German to the bruised and petrified doctor. Mako knew, everyone knew, that Dr. Geiszler had a perfect American accent. But his frustrations were routinely expressed in his native language. Hearing the giant Russian man use his gruff voice to parrot the angry sounds back was both hilarious and terrifying. 

Sasha noticed Mako’s appearance first and barked out a quick order in Russian to her husband who dropped the doctor and stepped back. Both Russian pilots turned to face Mako and then, with a synchronized nod, ambled down the hallway away from her. 

Mako watched them go for a moment before turning her attention on the still collapsed Dr. Geiszler. 

He was watching her as well. 

“I, uh, came by to apologize and they found me. I mean, I knew they were terrifying. All the Russian pilots are. But there’s seeing them be scary from a distance and then there’s being pushed up against a door and threatened in your own language scary.” Dr. Geiszler babbled. Mako watched him impassively. 

Realizing he was not getting any reaction from her, Geiszler stood up from the steps to her door and brushed his leather jacket off self-consciously. He bent back and produced a small package from the step next to him. 

“So. Well. I. Um. Shit, I’m bad at this.” Geiszler reached up and scratched the bandages holding his broken nose in place. “I screwed up okay. I shouldn’t have said _any_ of what I did and definitely shouldn’t have gotten in your face. I know the whole world is terrified of these things and yeah, Kaiju are terrible and scary. But they’re also completely fascinating and beautiful creatures…” He trailed off noticing the look on Mako’s face. It was the same one she gave him earlier before breaking his nose. “But that’s not important. What is important is that I was an insensitive dick and I’m sorry. You’re one of the few people who’s gotten that close to a Kaiju outside a Jaeger and survived. I was curious and excited and it’s no excuse. I’m very sorry, Miss Mori.”

He reached out with the package. Mako begrudgingly took it from him. He gestured for her to open it. Underneath the simple brown paper was a tin of the very excruciatingly rare green tea her mother used to drink. A tea that Sensei cleared Japan of three years ago. She used her supply sparingly but it would, eventually, run out. 

Mako choked up a bit and looked up at Dr. Geiszler from under her lashes. His quick retort suffocated in his throat when he saw how she looked at him. 

“Thank you, Dr. Geiszler. This is. This means a great deal to me.”

Newton Geiszler was thirty-two and held six doctorates. He was a certifiable genius. He was also painfully aware how utterly annoying most people found him. Hermann reminded him every single day. He really did hate the man, even if they were friends. Newt understood that his personality was abrasive and most of the time he didn’t care. But the dressing down that Vanessa gave him in medical after his misjudged attempts to ask Mako about Onibaba made him really consider what he’d done. 

He knew she drank the tea. She hoarded her supply with lethal glares to any and all asking where she got it. The look on her face now though told him that the tea was _more_ than the tea. It was the memories she associated with it. 

The girl in front of him was only nineteen. For six years she’d fought ruthlessly to kill the monsters that killed her family. The tea was obviously a reminder of them. Newton had his music and his monster movies to remind him of his dad and uncle. Mako had the tea. 

She sniffled a bit, looking down at the tin again, and Newton’s whole body froze. This woman broke his nose not five hours ago and his apology gift was going to make her cry. He had no idea how to react. 

“Um. You’re welcome. I figured you were less likely to hit me again for running my mouth if I gave you an apology gift. So. Yeah.”

Mako managed a small grin. “My mother drank this tea. She would share it with me every day after school.”

“Huh. Well, Tadashi Monroe, one of the security guys? He, uh, he drinks it too. Apparently he has a pretty steady supply, so if you get low.” He waved his hands dismissively. 

Newton surprised himself by placing a hand on the young woman’s shoulder. Mako flinched but shocked herself by hugging the infuriating scientist. She backed away almost immediately, clutching the tea to her chest tightly. Newton spluttered for a moment before grinning widely.

“Well, we’ve hugged now. We’re totally friends. You _have_ to call me Newt now. None of this Dr. Geiszler crap.”

Mako moved to her door, shaking her head. “I do not have many friends.”

“Neither do I, no one understands our glowing personalities.” He was practically vibrating with the success of his apology now. “Look, I know I’m an ass. I’m going to say and do things in the future that will annoy the crap out of you. I’m not asking you to forgive me, just remember that we’re friends now and that I totally have your back.”

The Ranger stared hard at him. “Then I will try not to hit you again, _Newt_.” Mako entered her room swiftly after that, a shy smile on her face. Newt bounced down the hall back towards the labs. 

A quick hack of the lab’s door controls and he knew yet another of Hermann’s “Lock Newt out of the Lab” passwords. He entered humming the lyrics to Johnny Cash’s “Ring of Fire” under his breath. Hermann glanced over from where he perched on his ladder and frowned. 

“I have repeatedly asked you not to sing in the lab.”

“Well, screw you very much, Herm. I did a good thing. I’m happy. I sing.”

Newton barreled into his half of the lab and dug back into the Kaiju spleen he’d been dissecting. Hermann watched him with a mix of anger and fondness. They certainly hated each other on a good day and actively engaged in sabotage on bad ones, but somehow they did not forget the friendship forged through long winded emails. 

“I take it you apologized to Miss Mori?”

“I did. And we’re totally friends now. I like her. She’s all stoic and murder-y looking, but then she hugs you out of nowhere. It’s like she’s this totally badass Ranger and then you look again and see that she really is only nineteen.”

“Newton,” Hermann began. He could see a problem forming. “You know you are thirteen years older than Miss Mori?”

“Yeah, Herm. I know how to do math.”

“And that she’s Marshal Pentecost’s adopted daughter.”

“That I did _not_ know. Shit. He’s gonna hate me once he hears she broke my nose.”

Hermann sighed as Newton began rambling about how terrifying Russians and the Marshal were going to truss him up like a Christmas goose. He utterly disliked recognizing when his lab partner was doing something stupid and he was unable to stop him. It was infuriating. But on his own head be it.


	21. Now I Gotta Contend With The Living Blues

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Originally posted 14 July 2017. Fully edited and Beta'd by 25 December 2017. 
> 
> This chapter was originally one long piece that I split into three parts. As a result this part is transitional, literally. The three parts all deal with the aftermath of the UN chapter and what effect that has on the emotional stability of our characters. This is the last obstacle left over from before Pitfall, the last fight to win before the PPDC can focus on the future. It was the last mission left by Pentecost, at least in my version of events, as such there is no focus for certain people any longer. They are adrift. They do not handle it well. 
> 
> There are a couple Japanese phrases which are translated at the end.

\-----April 25, 2025-----

**0430 HRS, PPDC Satellite Station, New York City, NY, USA**

Raleigh Becket looked out over the Hudson River from the windows of the old Manhattan cruise terminal. The hulking shape of the USS Intrepid blocked light from part of the city’s skyline and Raleigh indulged in the memory of his parents bringing he and his siblings to the ship as a kid. Jazz was maybe five, he and Yancy not much older. They’d spent the day running the length of the ship and then the night seeing Lion King on Broadway. 

Now, seven years after the PPDC had taken over the cruise terminal and adjacent museum as a satellite facility the shared memories from his and Yancy’s past were riding Raleigh hard. It was still dark outside and yet he could feel the sunshine on his back, see his parents in the distance as his eyes traced the dark profile of the Intrepid. 

A hand squeezing his bicep pulled Raleigh out of his head. Mako stood next to him at the windows, grounding him. The urge to RABIT through his and Yancy’s shared memories, down into the part of his subconscious where the faintest traces of his brother still lived, raged in his head daily. She graced him with a wan smile and tightened her grip on his arm. 

Raleigh pulled her in close and tucked her under his chin. Mako wrapped him tightly in her arms and instantly made her copilot feel smaller and safer. They stood there in the pre-dawn light of the Manhattan skyline for several minutes, forcing each other to stay in the present and sharing in the vestiges of their ghost drift. 

Mako was leaving him within the hour. It would be the first time they weren’t in the same building with each other since they’d met. Since they’d drifted. Since they’d finally found someone to trust implicitly after so long alone. 

Raleigh fingered the colored strip of Mako’s hair. The blue, the same shade as Kaiju blood, had dominated her for too long. Now a strip of red accompanied it. A testimony to their losses and to the place she’d found herself again, Gipsy Danger. Raleigh tucked the colored strands behind her ear and touched his forehead to hers. 

She was returning to Hong Kong. The Mark VI Jaeger, Yarilo Victor, was nearing completion and the Gages had sent communiques indicating they could begin transferring the first two Mark III and IV Jaegers out of Oblivion Bay within the week. As Tendo’s co-Chief of the Construction and Restoration Program, her presence was mandatory. 

Her copilot was on mandatory leave. Raleigh would board a PPDC transport for London thirty minutes after Mako boarded one for China. He was fairly excited about the trip until Mako and Herc announced they wouldn’t be joining the rest of the group. Tatiana would also be travelling to Hong Kong as she had resigned her position to become the head of the private consortium which would oversee funding for the PPDC. 

This meant Raleigh was sharing his leave with Chuck and Charlotte Hansen. Both of whom were long overdue for a furlough. Tatiana insisted they still use her house in London and brooked no arguments from them in response. Herc claimed it would be good for them. Charlotte was not happy. She hated leave. She especially hated leave when her daughter wasn’t with her. 

Stella was in the middle of testing her way through the first three grades of primary school and Charlotte felt guilty as hell taking the girl away from her education. She’d had too much of that in her own childhood. Stella was happy at the Hong Kong Dome, surrounded by her friends and the cobbled together family the Hansens built in the PPDC. She told her mother to “go have fun and bring me a statue of Big Ben” and hung up the call Raleigh witnessed the night before. 

He had to hand it to the kid, she was every inch a Hansen, dominating every interaction despite being only four-years-old. Charlotte was upset, to say the least, and stormed out of the room muttering to herself about “fucking overly mature children who sound too much like their damned fathers.” 

Standing with Mako nearly twelve hours later, Raleigh still wasn’t sure what to think of Charlotte’s statement. As far as he could tell, after spending months around her and even babysitting her, Stella was nothing like the horrendous specimen that fathered her. 

“Raleigh, _tooku ni ittemo watashi wa anata no soba ni imasu.”_ (1)

“Mako _ga inai to samishi.”_ (2)

Raleigh held onto his copilot tightly, grateful that she’d spent so much time away from her home country for a split second. This kind of contact wouldn’t be normal, despite their status as drift partners. 

“We are never alone. Not anymore, Raleigh.”

“No. We aren’t.” Raleigh agreed. 

They broke apart, but kept holding hands. The sound of the jumphawks landing just outside the only thing to interrupt the noise of New York City and their silence. Charlotte and Chuck appeared seconds after the choppers descended. Both Hansens were their characteristically grumpy selves in the pre-dawn hours. 

Charlotte, duffel bag slung over her shoulder and thermos of coffee in hand, took up a position at the door. Chuck stumbled over to Mako and Raleigh, also holding a thermos. He propped himself up using Mako’s shoulder and pouted spectacularly when she stole his coffee. 

Herc and Tatiana appeared just as the facility’s crew opened the doors for the pilots. The Marshal also looked less than pleased to be up before the sun but he clapped both his children on their shoulders and strode through the doors to the helipad outside. Charlotte quietly said goodbye to Tatiana then waltzed off to the chopper opposite the one her father boarded. 

“Enjoy the house Raleigh, Charles.” Tatiana called over her shoulder as she too walked outside. 

Mako pulled away from Raleigh and Chuck reluctantly. 

“You will call me every day. I refuse to let you have fun without telling me all about it.”

“Course, Mako. It will be bloody fucking boring without you, though.”

“Of course it will, Chuck-kun. Which is why you will call me. Every. Single. Day.” Mako said, punctuating her last words with pokes to the still-sensitive scarring on the other Ranger’s chest. 

Chuck flinched and dragged Mako into a headlock. The two Rangers wrestled for several moments before Raleigh pulled them apart. 

“I can’t take you guys anywhere.”

Mako and Chuck swung half-hearted slaps at each other before turning on Raleigh and dragging him out to the jumphawks. All three Rangers dodged chop wash and their own swinging duffel bags as they jogged to the choppers. Raleigh hugged Mako tight one last time and then climbed up next to Charlotte. 

Chuck pulled his best friend close. 

“He is not doing well.” Mako said. 

“No he ain’t. I got him, Maki.” 

“I am not food, Chuck.”

“Have fun without us. I’ll try to do the same.” Chuck said, pulling away. Mako leaned up and kissed his cheek. 

“Take care of him.”

“I will.” He patted her cheek and then turned to board the jumphawk. Raleigh and Charlotte were staring at each other, already on edge. The whole trip to New York had been stressful on all of them, but with the appearance of Naomi and then some uncomfortable interviews after the UN, Charlotte and Raleigh were both balanced on very thin ice. 

The fight they’d had the night before broke that ice. 

Chuck was adamantly ignoring the gear up for round two. Herc reamed the two of them for their shitty behavior already. He was _not_ going to be responsible for breaking up another one of their fights. They could sort themselves out. 

He buckled himself into a seat on the opposite side of the chopper, just to make the point that he wasn’t taking sides. He signaled Lieutenant Barnes, because of course the bloody seppo would come to New York as a good Brooklyn boy, and the jumphawk lifted off from the helipad bound for Gabreski ANGB. Chuck watched as the other chopper veered off towards JFK, carrying his father away. 

Herc tried to have a heart to heart the night before and it went about as well as expected. Sure they’d had their moment before Pitfall, acknowledging all the shit they never said outside the drift, but Chuck wasn’t ever sure he could forget his father’s face after the fight with Raleigh. It never occurred to him before that moment that he didn’t have his father’s respect. Herc telling him that he didn’t _like_ him, that hurt. 

Their conversation last night was Herc’s attempt to apologize for that whole incident. He tried, and failed, to share a heartwarming story about he and his father. It would have gone down better except that Chuck knew Herc hated his father and that the feeling was mutual. 

The only thing Chuck learned from the whole encounter was that Herc had a shit role model for how to be a good dad. The one stable relationship his father ever had was with his wife. With Angela gone Herc failed, again and again, to be a great father. But Chuck could recognize now, with a war and one very intense near-death experience between them, that Herc tried to be a _good_ father. 

He only left them after Scissure because Chuck told him to do it. The second he could, Herc was on a flight out with Scott to grab Chuck and Charlotte and bring them to Hong Kong. Since then, Herc never let his kids out of his sight except for their time in the Academy and Charlotte’s assignments as a J-Tech and Vice-Marshal.

Twelve years he stood by them through everything. All the while fighting to kill the monsters that broke their family apart in the first place. Twelve years of not silent, but steady, acceptance that all he could do for his kids was be around. Chuck didn’t appreciate any of it, not until he walked away from his father towards Pentecost and his death. 

Watching the helicopters break away from each other he felt the same fear as when he watched the lift doors close on his father crying. Apparently this was written all over his face because Raleigh unbuckled and plopped into the seat next to him. The other Ranger strapped himself in one-handed since his left hand was occupied holding onto Chuck’s right. 

Chuck glanced over to his sister. Instead of sympathy or pain on her face, he saw her mask. He was damned tired of seeing that impassive “fuck you” expression. He’d seen enough of it the last five years. He hated it. Listening to Herc rip into her the day before, he knew that while he and his father were slowly working on their relationship, fixing their problems, Charlotte was digging herself deeper into whatever hole she’d found five years ago.

Charlotte locked eyes with her brother and held his gaze long enough that the chopper began its descent onto the runway. As they touched down, she abruptly twisted her head and unbuckled herself. Raleigh huffed and shook his head. Chuck narrowed his eyes. His sister was broken, he knew that, but until this trip she seemed better. Appeared to be on the mend. Whatever happened between her and Raleigh in the last two days shut her down completely. Chuck had a week to figure her out. 

The three Rangers and two jumphawk pilots exited the chopper and headed towards the C-17 transport waiting to fly them to London. Barnes and the enigmatic Jim boarded first and happily settled into two of the dozen cots bolted to the fuselage. Chuck and Raleigh followed close behind tossing their bags into the waiting cargo nets. Chuck turned to grab his sister’s bag, a sign of his intent to get involved in her shit, but found her standing at the bottom of the ramp. She was staring off towards the city. 

“Oi, you planning on joining us anytime soon?” Chuck called. 

Charlotte stayed quiet for a moment before turning to face her brother. “Yeah…Yeah. I’m coming.”

“Good. Shang me that bag, Charlie. I’ll get it stowed.”

Chuck caught the tossed duffel easily and ignored Charlotte’s glare. They had a long standing routine of nonverbal communication. He stowed it with his and Raleigh’s bags then gestured to one of the jump seats next to Raleigh. The blond had the decency to pat one of them and give Charlotte a welcoming, but definitely reluctant, grin. Charlotte twitched her lips a bit but elected to climb into a cot. Raleigh sighed and dropped his head down onto Chuck’s shoulder after the other pilot sat down and strapped in. 

“Not sure what to do with her.” Chuck said, sounding a bit lost. 

“We fucked up.” Raleigh answered. 

“We, as in you and me, or you and her?”

“Me and her. I let things fester too long. Gonna corner her this week. Something is seriously wrong with her.”

“Think I could help?”

“Maybe? I don’t know. She doesn’t want to talk. Not sure double-teaming her is the best solution. Never worked when Yancy and I did it.”

“Never worked for Mum and Dad either. She just lashed out like a cranky Roo.”

“So, you go first? Hash out all the family drama, then I go in for whatever her shit is with me now.”

“Yeah. Sure. Right now I’m knackered.”

Raleigh shifted and they propped each other up. Both of them needed the human contact, but were entirely unwilling to climb into one of the cots. Chuck drifted into a dozy nap as the plane leveled out over the Atlantic. Raleigh stayed awake, messing with training schedules and the blueprints that Mako was similarly working with on her own flight. He and Yancy may never have finished high school, earning their GEDs at the insistence of the Academy admissions board, but they both excelled in the academic portion of the academy nonetheless. 

J-Tech was more Yancy’s strong-point, but Raleigh could easily use his experience to help streamline designs. The faint echo of Yancy interjected helpful insights that he forwarded to his drift partner. Chuck managed to nap on his shoulder for nearly two hours before he suddenly bolted upright and stared across to where his sister was sleeping. 

Charlotte tossed fitfully and Chuck pulled the harness off his shoulders and scampered over to his sister. A gentle hand on her head and shoulder woke her and she managed to choke down a sob before burying her face into Chuck’s neck. Raleigh set his tablet aside and caught Chuck’s eye. The younger pilot looked haunted but waved him away. He climbed onto the cot and pulled Charlotte half into his lap. 

She settled down and shook slightly for a while before drifting into sleep again. Once he was positive she wouldn’t wake, Chuck motioned for Raleigh to come over. He gently nudged Charlotte’s legs out of the way before sinking into the thin mattress and pulling her feet into his lap. She groaned and twitched but fell into a deeper sleep. 

“How long has she been having nightmares?” Raleigh asked, barely audible over the engines. 

“Off and on over the years. Haven’t felt one of them in a while though.”

Raleigh pulled his tablet out and found several messages from Mako indicating that Herc was experiencing a similar pull from the faint ghost drift with his daughter. 

“When was the last time she drifted with either of you?”

Chuck glanced down at his sister. She still shuddered occasionally, but was definitely in REM sleep now. “She did some testing with Herc about a year ago. We tested six months ago. Herc is universally compatible, they wanted to try the recruits with him in Gipsy. But she rabbited with me in Striker. Threw the drift sideways. Took everything I had to reel her back in. Her head was a mess. All I saw were the Kaiju she fought and people screaming. It was like every bad memory she had was roiling around in there.”

“She has PTSD.”

“Yeah I know. We all do.”

“But she was getting help. I know she was.”

“She was. Been dealing with it, yeah?” 

“This isn’t dealing with it, Chuck.”

Charlotte jolted and flailed as she woke from whatever nightmare ruined her sleep this time. Chuck and Raleigh caught her arms and held her down as she threw punches and kicked hard. Both men faltered and let go when she suddenly twisted her body and knocked their heads together. Charlotte jumped off the cot and began pacing, muttering to herself. Raleigh managed to get himself together first, rolling off the cot, and stumbling towards Charlotte. Barnes intercepted him. 

“Let me, Ranger Becket.”

“But.”

“Nope. Already called a buddy of mine. You know him. Steve?”

Raleigh straightened up and narrowed his eyes at the pilot. Chuck tried pushing past both of them to get to his sister. Raleigh grabbed his elbow as Barnes held up a hand. The unholy growl Chuck let loose made Charlotte twitch and turn her focus to them. 

“Steve is in London. It’s why Jim and I are on this flight. We’re going to see him and some other people. She’ll talk to him.” Barnes continued. 

“Who the fuck is Steve?” Chuck grumbled, eyes still locked on his sister. 

“The counselor who helped me get my head on halfway straight.”

Chuck looked at Barnes. The man was former US Army, highly decorated. He had a penchant for disobeying orders that kept him from advancing higher than Sergeant. Then K-Day happened. Chuck didn’t know the whole story, only what his father told him, but his whole unit went AWOL during the attack on Cabo. As Kaiceph took out the Mexican resort town, news footage showed pictures and video of the seven men rescuing civilians. Herc said they were also responsible for coordinating the missile strikes that eventually took the Kaiju down. 

Barnes and his whole unit were summarily discharged from the Army for abandoning their post and crossing into a foreign country to conduct an unsanctioned operation. Krieger had apparently shown up to personally offer each man a position with the brand new PPDC that same day. Only four of them took the Director-General up on his offer. 

“You trust this guy?” Chuck finally asked.

“With my life.” Both men answered simultaneously. Huh, Chuck could deal with that. 

“Alright. Fine.”

“Right, you two go back to your seats. Read, fight, whatever. I’ll handle Princess Di.”

Raleigh started to argue, but Chuck shuffled him off to the front of the plane. He shoved the older man through one of the doors in the converted C-17. Inside was a soundproofed conference room and Raleigh pulled away from Chuck to drop into one of the chairs locked down on the floor. 

“Steve will help her.” Raleigh said, finally. 

“Good.”

“After all that I’m not sure we should get involved.”

“I hear a ‘but’ in there, mate.”

 _“But_ ,” Raleigh said, lips twitching slightly in a smile. “Whatever is going on with her, she’s got some serious problems with me. I don’t like that.”

“Any ideas?”

Raleigh looked across the table at Chuck. It wasn’t often the other man looked his age. War always managed to age its soldiers beyond their physical ages. But now, he looked every day of his twenty-one years. Only the hard set of his jaw and the violence coiled in his muscles revealed the soldier underneath the scared kid. 

“Let Steve talk her down, then rat her out to Herc.”

“Or we give her this week to figure herself out, then rat her out to Tatiana _and_ Herc.”

“You know that woman’s basically your stepmother at this point, right?”

“Eh. She’s mothered us for years.”

“So we have a plan?” Raleigh asked, eyes haunted but a wry grin on his face. 

“We do.”

\-----

Four and a half hours later, the cargo doors opened to a small group of people on the tarmac of the Northolt RAF base. Raleigh and Chuck held back as Barnes and his copilot bounded down the ramp into the excited arms of two women and a very tall, broad man. 

Raleigh froze as the man exchanged a quick hug with Barnes and then looked up at him. He jerked out a quick nod in Steve’s direction and glanced at Chuck. The other Ranger was watching the group’s exchange avidly. Charlotte was already halfway down the ramp towards the waiting, and firmly unimpressed, figure of a redheaded woman. She smacked the much taller Australian across the back of the head. 

This started a very quick but violent outburst between the two women that ended up with the other woman, a blonde, stepping in to break them apart. Barnes laughed during the whole exchange and then turned to beckon the men down. Raleigh hefted his bag and pushed Chuck ahead of him. 

“Steve.” 

“Becket. How you doing?”

“Saved the world. Made new friends. Didn’t die.”

“Yeah. Not an answer though.”

Raleigh looked at Chuck then back to the man who saved his life. He could see Charlotte staring at him from over Steve’s shoulder. “I’m better.”

“All I needed to know. Alright Diana, let’s go. Got a room for you.”

Chuck frowned. “You aren’t coming with us, Charlie?”

“No. I’m staying with Steve this week. You two have fun. I already talked to Herc.”

And without another word she climbed into the waiting car. Barnes waved the little group on to join her and walked over to the slightly stunned Rangers still standing at the bottom of the cargo ramp.

“So much for the plan.” Chuck said, frowning. 

“Look, we’ll keep an eye on her. You two should have fun. I’ll check in with the Marshal every day. If she decides to join you, then I’ll personally deliver her.”

Barnes hopped in the passenger seat of the car, kissed the redhead in the driver’s seat, and the Range Rover drove off. Raleigh and Chuck exchanged glances and frowned. There was no other car waiting. The two Rangers both whipped out their phones to call their copilots. Before either call connected another car pulled out from between two hangars. 

The sleek Mercedes pulled up even with the two pilots and a stern looking man exited. Even though he was much shorter than his father, Jacob Pentecost exuded the same unfailing confidence. Chuck broke into a wide smile at the sight of him. 

“Jake! Didn’t know you were back in town, mate!”

The stern look melted off of Jake’s face and he pulled the Australian into a big hug. Raleigh was completely certain that Jake had to be adopted too. Stacker’s kids were capable of expressing emotion. Nothing he’d ever seen indicated that Stacker Pentecost was any more human than the robots he piloted. 

Chuck and Jake broke apart chattering excitedly while Raleigh took a picture and sent it to his copilot then contentedly stood there with his arms crossed waiting for the two men to notice him. He took the time to study the younger Pentecost. He had memories of Jake from Mako but they were not the whole picture of the man in front of him. 

“Oi, you haven’t introduced me to your boy here. Jacob Pentecost.”

“Raleigh Becket.”

“Well now that we’ve shaken hands and pretended we didn’t know exactly who the other was, let’s say we head out to this house Tatiana gave me the keys for.” Jake said, jovially. 

“Bonzer.” Chuck said, still smiling. Raleigh grinned too, swept up in fond memories of Mako, Jake, and Chuck getting into trouble at the various Domes.

Raleigh deposited his and Chuck’s bags in the boot and climbed into the backseat. Chuck was already riding shotgun. His earlier excitement at seeing his friend was gone replaced with the arrogant Ranger again. Raleigh could tell the kid was still happy to see Jake, but the worry for his sister was back. He knew that level of worry, still felt it even though Yancy was long gone. 

Shit, there was a thought. Five years on, Raleigh still felt the loss of his brother every day. But finding Mako, learning to trust someone again, healed many of his festering wounds. Chuck hadn’t really lost his sister, not physically at least. But his sister had been lost by degrees for years. He had to learn to live without her.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 1--Even if you go far away, I’ll be by your side.  
> 2--I feel so lonely without you, Mako.


	22. They're Breathing Down Your Neck, You're Running Out Of Lives

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Originally posted 22 July 2017. Fully edited and Beta'd by 25 December 2017. (slightly edited author's note.)
> 
> KAIJU FIGHT!!! Our intrepid Hansen siblings are not doing so well. Don't forget, this is a war people, a war that humanity was _losing_ until Pitfall. I also posted this on nearly the same date as the day in question, plus a few years. But it was my birthday and I couldn't help myself.
> 
> Also, I am a troll, can't help it. Won't apologize for it. But I want to shout out to ofpensanddragons for recognizing my less than subtle cross-fandom bit characters. It always makes me happy when people can read a side-character's name with a groan, eye-roll, and smile. 
> 
> Anyways, here is a brief, punchy interlude to the ongoing emotional turmoil. 
> 
> Enjoy.
> 
> P.S. Jaeger Artwork Reference at the end.

\-----July 24, 2022-----

**1213 HRS, LOCCENT, The Icebox, Anchorage, Alaska**

Stacker Pentecost stood stoically watching the screens and readouts from the Breach. A Category III, codenamed Taurax, emerged three hours ago. The attempt to intercept the Kaiju in Guam by Vulcan Spectre failed. Stacker typically monitored every Jaeger deployment, but Vulcan’s inability to stop Taurax demanded that he take over direction of the operation from the Icebox. 

The PPDC Marshal truly wished there was another option, but Crimson Typhoon and Shaolin Rogue were too far away, returning for repairs after a nearly disastrous deployment in Hawaii. That left Striker Eureka to man the front lines. Stacker clenched his jaw and frowned. The Mark V Jaeger was deploying to the Philippines piloted by the Hansen siblings.

Hercules Hansen was unfortunately standing next to Stacker in Anchorage. There simply wasn’t enough time, even with their exceptional transportation methods, to get the veteran pilot across the Pacific in time to join his son in Striker’s conn-pod. Stacker watched the readouts from the siblings’ drift as they settled in on the cruiser shuttling them from Sydney. There was a steady fluctuation in the drift. Whatever Charlotte and Chuck were sharing, with the comms conveniently disconnected, was subtly fucking with their drift. 

Stacker released a slow sigh, disguising it as a deep exhale. Herc picked up on it anyway and levelled his commanding officer with a perfect side-glare that would make a lesser man cower. As Stacker prided himself on being no ordinary man, the glare only made him frown further. He conceded to the look in his best friend’s eyes though and leaned down to contact the Mark V. 

“Striker, this is a triple deployment. Vulcan Spectre is being redeployed from Guam. ETA is,” Stacker paused to look at Tendo Choi. The LOCCENT Chief gestured to a screen on his left that displayed projected travel times for the still incoming Jaegers. “Three hours. Taurax put a dent in her, but she’s more than functional. Coyote Tango is en route from Tokyo as well. ETA is five hours. You will hold the line, Striker.”

There was a pause of silence and a corresponding surge in the readouts from Striker’s conn-pod. Stacker was surprised to hear Chuck Hansen’s voice answering him. 

“Copy that, LOCCENT.”

Stacker’s eyes drifted to the board again. Lights indicated the deployment of Jaegers all over the Pacific Rim and their travel times to any given location. Any time the Breach opened, at least ten Jaegers were readied for deployment. Once the sensors embedded on the ocean floor indicated a location of travel, more Jaegers would activate along the coastline of whatever country was most likely to be attacked. One Jaeger per dome remained active, as they learned their lessons early on with Onibaba and his sudden change in direction from Hong Kong to Tokyo. 

Vulcan Spectre deployed within an hour and engaged Taurax on the beaches of Guam for forty-two minutes until the Kaiju knocked the Jaeger into the sand and leapt back into the ocean. By the time sensors picked it up again, Striker Eureka was already en route to the Philippines. 

At its current rate, Taurax would arrive in Mindanao in seventy-eight minutes. Stacker mentally calculated the minutes and seconds that could mean victory or defeat for his Rangers. Striker was fast, the Hansen siblings were arguably one the best pilot pair in service, aside from the Hansen father-son duo, they could easily hold a Category III for the time it took to provide them with backup. Well, he hoped so. Any surety he had in his pilots’ complete ability to handle any situation died with Yancy Becket and the Jaegers that fell almost daily since. He was leading a resistance force now, not a victorious army. 

\-----

Seventy-nine minutes and fourteen seconds later, Taurax emerged onto the Miracle Mile off Davao City. The Kaiju roared its arrival, and then bellowed again at the sight of a stoic Striker Eureka standing between it and the island’s largest city. Talikud Island loomed behind the Jaeger, palm trees framing the machine incongruously with the rainy day. 

Taurax reared up on its hind legs. (1) Its remaining four limbs hung menacingly from its bulky frame. Heavy armor plating covered every inch of the Kaiju and Stacker caught Herc tensing up at the sight of the beast. It had been raining too hard on Guam to get a good look. Tendo Choi was less subtle. 

“Fuck me.” He blanched and cleared his throat. “Um. Apologies Marshal.” He fiddled with some of his screens and then punched into the comm-link to all three Jaegers. “Rangers, we have eyes on target.”

“Roger, eyes on target, LOCCENT. Certainly a big bastard, ain’t he?” Chuck’s voice echoed across the comms. Stacker barely registered the other two Jaegers issuing agreements. He was entirely focused on Striker’s drift readout. His Vice-Marshal was uncharacteristically silent. That was not a good sign. 

“Striker, your orders are to hold the Miracle Mile for as long as possible. Reinforcements are imminent. We will not lose anyone today, Rangers. Am I clear?” Stacker kept his typical firm tone, but tried to lace it with a plea for hope. 

He got the response he wanted. Charlotte Hansen’s voice came over the comms, confident and clear. “Yes, Sir. Leaving comms open. Striker Eureka engaging.”

The footage from the circling jumphawks and news choppers occupied Stacker’s attention as he listened to Charlotte and Chuck. Taurax was already on the move, covering the last distance between it and the lone Jaeger. Striker had yet to move. The Mark V stood open and waiting for the Kaiju. 

“Hands up.” Herc muttered darkly under his breath. “Come on, do it.”

Stacker silently agreed. Whatever the Hansens’ strategy, it was nerve-wracking to watch. Stacker already lost twenty Jaegers since Gipsy went down. He couldn’t afford to lose the only Mark V in service too. More importantly, he couldn’t lose her pilots. 

Taurax stopped short of the Jaeger and roared again. Stacker had to agree with Dr. Geiszler, the bastards were learning. There was no other explanation for the blatant taunting display the massive Kaiju exhibited. Still, Striker Eureka remained impassive. Only the subtle roll of the Jaeger’s shoulders indicated that the Hansens were more than ready for a fight. 

The Kaiju had enough. Taurax exploded into a flurry of swinging limbs. Its four arms whirled with deadly accuracy towards Striker’s unprotected chest, armored skin glinting in the stormy afternoon light. Stacker registered the flurry of chatter from the jumphawk pilots’ comms as they pulled away to avoid being knocked out of the sky, but kept his focus on the Jaeger. 

Striker dodged all four arms and barreled into the Kaiju, tackling it head on and tossing the monster towards the shallower water of Talikud Island’s coral reefs. A quick succession of blows from the sting blades and several good shoves forced the Kaiju to expose its unarmored flanks. The robot and kaiju traded withering jabs and hooks, the shallower water working in Striker’s favor, despite Taurax’s extra arms.

“Shit!” Herc suddenly exclaimed from Stacker’s right. The Marshal frowned and the whole of LOCCENT went quiet for a split second at the sound. The Australian lunged for the comms and practically growled at his children. “Striker, it’s reading you. Switch!”

Stacker and Herc bonded over their love of boxing. The amateur matches from their military days and hours-long arguments over styles formed the foundation of their friendship in the early days of the academy. Stacker switched his focus from the robot to the Kaiju and immediately saw what Herc meant. Taurax was subtly leaning away from Striker’s punches before the Jaeger finished swinging. 

Charlotte’s presence in the dominant position meant the woman’s preferred techniques were on display. Charlotte was a swarmer, relying on power and relentlessness. Even when employing techniques from other martial arts, the pilot relied on her strength and power to devastate her opponents. Herc was a boxer-puncher, using speed and power in tandem to take down his enemies. He defended better and attacked faster than his daughter. Chuck’s finesse and technique kept each pairing balanced, but it was clear that Taurax’s earlier display wasn’t meant to taunt, but to assess. 

The Kaiju could obviously tell the difference between the two styles of fighting. The Marshal swore quietly and began barking orders out to the incoming Jaegers.

Thousands of miles away, Striker’s whole frame fluidly shifted from an orthodox, right-handed position into Chuck’s distinctive Southpaw fighting stance. Stacker stopped issuing orders for a moment to admire the Jaeger’s speed. The Kaiju roared in frustration as punches landed mercilessly across its head and sides. Striker’s sting blades dripped cerulean as the monster’s blood gushed from wounds the Jaeger hadn’t been inflicting just moments before. 

A quick glance across the room, to the screen showing the live feed from inside Striker’s conn-pod confirmed Stacker’s suspicions. Chuck and Charlotte had seamlessly transferred the hand-controls and were now fighting with Chuck’s dominant hand. The siblings were grinning madly inside their helmets, shouting encouragements and attacks to one another. Herc was completely focused on the jumphawk footage, but every time he heard his children successfully coordinate another attack a wolfish smile appeared on his face. 

“Vulcan Spectre on approach.” Tendo Choi’s voice broke Stacker’s cool assessment of his pilots’ fight. He turned his head to watch the TV screens as the Jaeger joined the fray. The Mark III’s silhouette appeared in the storm, rainy fog masking its approach. Christine Hugo’s voice cheerfully announced the Jaeger’s arrival to the fight as Vulcan powered up both plasma cannons. 

“Oi, Striker! Save us a piece mate, we’re owed a round two.” Stacker rolled his eyes. Sometimes he forgot why people considered Australians insane. 

“Hurry up then!” Charlotte growled as Chuck griped about “bloody cane toads always late to the party.”

Vulcan ran full tilt towards the fight and immediately set about laying into the distracted Kaiju with its fully charged plasma cannons. The Mark III shared the same basic design as Gipsy Danger with a stockier build. Hogan Travers emptied his clip first, dismembering the Kaiju’s tail. Christine followed seconds later, a gaping hole in Taurax’s side corresponding to her control of the left plasma cannon. The Mark III’s primary weapons deployed, both Jaegers launched into a knockdown, drag-out fight with the Kaiju. 

Taurax, though injured and unbalanced with the loss of its tail, held fast and countered both Jaegers’ attacks with dogged persistence. Stacker managed not to feel despair at the creature’s obvious strength and cunning. Vulcan and Striker were a fluid team, balancing each other with precision and grace. The Kaiju was losing ground. 

When Coyote Tango, his old Jaeger, appeared on the horizon two hours later, Stacker tensed. Gunnar and Vic Tunari were more than capable pilots, but he would always see the Mark I and remember the fight with Onibaba. The Jaeger slid into the fight flawlessly, fangblades slicing away at the seams on the Kaiju’s armored back. What Coyote Tango lacked in speed, it made up for with deadly accuracy. The three Jaegers soon had the Kaiju on the defensive. 

Unfortunately, desperation kicked in and the creature burst into a flurry of rapid swings that flung Vulcan and Coyote away from the fight. Striker parried several crushing blows and managed to partially sever two of the Kaiju’s four limbs. A quick, double handed blow under Taurax’s chin sent the monster reeling long enough for Striker to engage its rockets. Taurax moved to avoid the barrage, but Coyote managed to swing a single blade just right that the creature instinctively turned away and back into the missiles’ direct path. 

When the smoke from the explosions cleared, the kaiju lay as a hulking wreck in the middle of the Davao Gulf. Vulcan marched over and kicked the corpse. Every pilot checked for a pulse since Knifehead. Every pilot that survived, anyway. 

In the Icebox, cheers were echoing through the whole dome. Tendo smiled from his position at the screens and squeezed his ever-present rosary. Every encounter where every Ranger lived was a good one these days. Stacker clasped Herc’s shoulder and then buckled down to give orders to the PPDC crews already swarming into the Gulf to engage in cleanup and Jaeger retrieval. Herc stepped away and opened a private comm to Striker, pulling up the video feed for the conn-pod as he did. 

“Vice-Marshal Hansen to Striker. How goes it, Rangers?”

“It’s apples, Herc. Striker’s gonna need a complete refit on her left arm, though. And the right knee is nearly shot.” Charlotte answered, exhaustion and giddy excitement coloring her tone. 

“Bonzer. Pod take any damage? Bastard laid into you for a bit there.” Herc spoke tiredly. 

“Yeah, we shook bits of the harnesses loose, and the hydraulics look ready to cark it.” Chuck interjected as Charlotte grumbled, pulling herself from the damaged harness. “Got enough fluid in here to lube every Jut in Sydney.”

“Watch your mouth, Charlie!” Charlotte shouted. 

“I’ll say what I fuckin’ want, _Diana_.” Chuck bit back. 

“Oh you will, eh? Just because you are rooting toe-ier than a Roman sandal doesn’t mean I wanna hear about it.”

“Please. You’ve been on the pull for months. There’s hardly a fly left in Oz you haven’t copped a root with.”

Herc frowned and growled into the comm. “Oi, shut it, you bloody tossers. Behave yourselves. You’ve got at least an hour in there before you ship back to Sydney.”

“Sorry, Herc.” Both siblings apologized. 

“Yeah, you certainly sound it. Get your shit together. I’ll see you tomorrow.”

The Vice-Marshal closed the comm line and shut down the video feed to the conn-pod. He scrubbed his hands over his face, the ghost drift with Chuck sent his own adrenaline skyrocketing during the fight. Granted it was always high when there was a kaiju alert, but the subtle pressure of Chuck’s emotions forced it higher and now he was crashing. Adding in the feeling that his children were hiding something from him with their glib tones and bickering, Herc felt like a Mack truck had backed over him in the last few hours. He could _feel_ Chuck's anger pulsing through his veins. Something wasn't right. 

Tendo Choi suddenly appeared on his elbow and passed over a mug of tea. Herc managed a grateful grin and took a deep pull of the liquid. The soothing herbal flavor perked him back up, and he thanked the LOCCENT Chief before downing the rest of the tea.

“Marshal’s in his office.” Tendo said as he returned to his station overlooking the Icebox’s Jaeger bay. Chrome Brutus and Romeo Blue were the only Jaegers currently mission ready. Mammoth Apostle and Brawler Yukon were under repair, massive scaffolding obscuring the Jaegers. 

Hydra Corinthian fell three months prior in Los Angeles. The Lowell sisters took the Kaiju down with them, purging their nuclear core into the chest of the Category IV that disabled Mammoth and Brawler. The two damaged Jaegers were likely going to end up in Oblivion Bay. The repairs were proving to be too expensive with the PPDC’s funding cuts. 

Herc cursed under his breath at the turn his thoughts took and pushed himself deep into the hallways towards Stacker’s office. Today was a success. No one died and none of the Jaegers were turned to scrap. This was a win. A win. 

As he knocked on the Marshal’s door, his traitorous brain reminded him that tomorrow might not be so good.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 1--Armored Kaiju Concept by BABAGANOOSH99  
> http://babaganoosh99.deviantart.com/art/Armored-Kaiju-Concept-434144523


	23. And We Could Pull This Off Push Away, But You And Me Have Always Been

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Originally posted 31 July 2017. Fully edited and Beta'd by 25 December 2017. 
> 
> Part Two of the three-part arc from Chapter 21.
> 
> Obligatory smut warning. 
> 
> But hey! Fluffy fillers are always good. Especially when you emotionally abuse your characters.

\-----April 26, 2025-----

**0332 HRS, Kitezh House, Drayton Gardens SW10, Chelsea, London, England**

Raleigh Becket stood stoically at the windows of the master bedroom overlooking Drayton Gardens. The street sounded like the name of a soap opera if he was honest. Or the British version of Grey Gardens. Instead he was greeted with a street so stereotypically upper-class English it made his head spin. The townhouse mansion was renovated and decorated to Tatiana Grigorovich’s exacting style and needs. It said something that Chuck, Raleigh, and Jake’s snooping had turned up no less than seventeen guns stashed around the house and twice as many knives. 

Jake, still incredibly drunk after the “Welcome to London” exploration of Tatiana’s liquor cabinet, had sworn under his breath about insane Russian ex-spies and his father’s insane friends, then promptly passed out on the sofa in the sitting room. Raleigh laughed and noticed Chuck listing under his own drunkenness and managed to get his boyfriend up the stairs and into the sumptuous bed. 

Chuck was still snoring softly three hours later. Raleigh, though he’d definitely gotten drunk, was edging towards sobriety and remembering why alcohol was called a depressant. The hazy lights glowing in the thick London night turned his vision blue-white. The sensation pulled him into a near-drift. He floated through memories, his own and not, rabbiting through every tangential scene London wrought. Memories of Yancy, his parents, Jazz, Mako, and PPDC tours floated through his head pulling him down. 

A tender hand at his hip, tracing possessive circles, yanked him from his reverie. Chuck stood next to him, a bit glassy-eyed from liquor and his own lingering drift, staring into the night. The younger pilot was practically vibrating with the weight of the memories in his head. Raleigh leaned into the touch and dropped his head to Chuck’s shoulder. The younger man’s arm came up to wrap around the back of his neck matching the pressure on his hip. Raleigh rested his own hands on Chuck’s hips and held on gently. 

They stayed this way until Raleigh nuzzled into Chuck’s neck and earned himself a quick nip on the jaw in response. Raleigh pulled his head up, narrowing his eyes at the other pilot. Chuck grinned, definitely closer to sober than not now, and more than willing to test the limits of his coming hangover. Raleigh raised an eyebrow and then shoved the younger man against the floor-to-ceiling window. Before Chuck could react, the older Ranger was diving in for a blistering kiss. 

Both of them moaned at the contact. Chuck fisted his hand in Raleigh’s hair as his other began a teasing trail just under the edge of Raleigh’s sleep pants. They tormented each other with caresses until Raleigh pulled away, panting as though he’d just come out of a conn-pod. 

“Alright, love?” Chuck asked dazedly. 

“Mmm, yes.” 

“Any particular reason you stopped kissing me?”

“No.”

“Ray.”

“Hmm?”

“Come to bed.”

Raleigh grinned and let Chuck push him backwards towards the bed. He buckled as the mattress hit the back of his knees and kept grinning as Chuck climbed into his lap. Raleigh cupped his face and pulled him down for a kiss. They lay there snogging until Chuck couldn’t take any more. He pulled Raleigh back up and ripped his shirt over his shoulders, mussing the older man’s hair. Chuck brushed the fringe out of his face and let his thumb linger on Raleigh’s cheekbone. 

“Bloody gorgeous.” He muttered and pulled Raleigh towards him. He pushed hands between them to begin working Raleigh’s sleep pants off. Raleigh attempted to help but Chuck shoved his hands away and stood up abruptly to rip them off. 

“You too.” Raleigh leered. 

Chuck harrumphed and shoved Raleigh up the bed. He climbed over the top of him, stripping his t-shirt as he went. Raleigh pulled him in for another kiss, which Chuck broke to slink down Raleigh’s chest. He spent long enough teasing Raleigh with teeth and tongue that the other man was a writhing mess by the time Chuck pulled off his cock with a wet pop. Chuck pulled away to survey his handiwork, incredibly pleased with the sight of dozens of bites and purpling bruises. Raleigh whined as the man pulled completely away from him to shuffle through the top drawer of the nightstand. Tatiana had teased him before they left New York, telling him that all the bedrooms were “fully stocked” with supplies. 

“Bloody hell!” Chuck exclaimed. Raleigh rolled halfway over to see the drawer was filled with a half-dozen types of lube. Both men broke into uncontrollable giggles as they sorted through the bottles and tubes. Raleigh finally settled on the hilariously shaped and named bottle of Gun Oil, tossing it to Chuck who rolled his eyes. 

“Oh come on, it’s fucking hilarious.” Raleigh said, unable to hide his ridiculous smirk. 

“I’ll show you hilarious.” Chuck growled and promptly pinned Raleigh’s hips to the bed so he could suck the man’s cock into his mouth again. Raleigh let out an undignified yelp and dug his fingers into Chuck’s scalp. 

With Raleigh thoroughly distracted, Chuck slicked up two fingers and plunged them into his boyfriend. Chuck only barely managed to keep Raleigh from coming at the extra stimulation. But he still spent nearly half an hour stringing the man out until Raleigh was crying and outright begging for Chuck to do something, _anything_ to him. 

Chuck ignored him and pulled off, his jaw more than a little sore. He pulled away completely, enjoying the whimpering heap he’d turned Raleigh into. He pulled his own pants off and then climbed back over Raleigh, careful to not touch him at all. He waited until he had Raleigh’s undivided attention before leaning his head in to kiss him gently. 

“Chuck.” Raleigh gasped. “ _Please_.”

Chuck slotted himself between Raleigh’s thighs, but did nothing else. “You’re all mine, Ray.” 

With that he sank in on a single thrust. Raleigh wrapped his arms and legs around Chuck pulling him closer and forcing him deeper. They dissolved into moans and thrusts and need. They rode the high of sensation, chasing after completion. When they finally reached it, Chuck muffled a shout against Raleigh’s lips as the other man arched off the bed. They huddled close for a few minutes, regaining breath and brain function. 

Chuck rolled off Raleigh and took a moment to recover the ability to walk. He waddled to the bathroom for a washcloth and returned to find Raleigh snoring softly. Chuck basked in the glow for a moment, enjoying the sight of his boyfriend looking relaxed for once. He also enjoyed the fact that they never needed to discuss those moments when their years drifting demanded a physical response, a new memory to dominate the ghosts in their heads. That they could always reach out for a touch to ground them in reality, whether that touch ended up with them naked or not. 

He ran the washcloth lightly over Raleigh’s body, trying not to wake him, then threw it towards the bathroom. Several tense moments of maneuvering the rumpled sheets and duvet later and he was spooned behind Raleigh, comfortable under the blankets despite slight Spring chill. Chuck nuzzled Raleigh’s neck and fell asleep, feeling utterly content. 

\------

Jake Pentecost woke to the sound of Raleigh stubbing his toe in the kitchen and swearing violently. He lurched off the sofa at the noise and resisted the urge to vomit on Tatiana’s rug. A snort of laughter caught his attention and he looked up, slowly because his head felt like a cotton wrapped bowling ball, to find Chuck reaching down to help him up. He accepted the hand and groaned mightily at the movement. 

Once on his feet, he balanced himself on Chuck’s shoulder and let the Aussie lead him towards the kitchen. Chuck deposited him into a chair at the island and Raleigh shoved a plate full of bacon and toast under his nose, along with a glass of orange juice and two aspirin. Chuck plopped into the chair next to him and received the same treatment. Raleigh watched the two of them eat, his own plate of toast half-gone and a cup of strong coffee in his hands. Once the two men had put a dent in their toast, he pushed over two more mugs of coffee which were greedily snatched away. 

Rehydrated, caffeinated, and fed, Jake leaned back in his chair and congratulated himself on not vomiting. He sipped on his coffee and looked across the island to find Raleigh staring at Chuck. He hadn’t quite believed Mako when she informed him that the two pilots were a couple. But the copious pictures and video his sister provided over the last few months had at least prepared him for their arrival in London. He’d known Chuck for years. It was only his father’s adamant insistence that Jake return to his job as a robotics engineer working on Jaeger tech that made him officially leave the PPDC. That and the massive blow up they had when he refused to let Jake join the Jaeger Academy when he turned eighteen.

The Chuck he remembered was certainly pricklier and definitely against the sort of fondness Raleigh radiated whenever the two men were within ten feet of each other. This Chuck was still prickly and he glared a bit every time he caught Raleigh with a dopey half-grin on his face, _but_ he also snuggled up to Raleigh on the sofa while tipsy and trusted the man to make his coffee. All it took was a near-death experience and his equal in stubbornness to take an interest. Jake liked this version of his friend. He loved Chuck, he did, but the man he was now? This bloke he _liked._

“Thanks for the Brekkie, Raleigh. My stomach and head _definitely_ appreciated it.” Jake finally said, stopping the other man from his ridiculously sappy perusal of Chuck. 

“No problem. Toast and bacon’s always been our go-to hangover cure.”

Jake could feel Chuck tense up slightly next to him and began to question what was wrong until he realized that Raleigh said “our,” and he gamely kept his own face even. With all the alcohol and stories consumed and shared the night before, Jake was actually surprised the dead Becket brother hadn’t entered into conversation yet. Chuck’s brief reaction and immediate disposal of his boyfriend’s slip proved one thing to Jake: Raleigh trusted Chuck implicitly. Whatever shit the two of them were still dealing with, they had each other’s backs. 

“Really wish Mako and I would’ve figured that one out years ago.”

“Oh really?” Raleigh questioned, brightening up considerably at the possibility of another embarrassing story about his drift partner. The American leaned in eagerly, twirling a spoon anti-clockwise in his fresh cup of coffee. Jake quashed the immediate wave of jealousy he felt whenever one of Mako’s mannerisms acted itself out on Raleigh’s giant frame. He knew he wouldn’t be prepared for the opposite to happen when he saw his sister again. But he was inordinately happy that Mako found someone she could love and trust that didn’t have the name Pentecost. 

“Let’s just say the day she and I discovered Geiszler’s lab-made moonshine was a terrible day. Stacker forced us to clean every latrine in the Hong Kong dome for a month.”

Raleigh barked out a laugh, looking every inch the carefree pilot Jake remembered from interviews and posters six years ago. It threw Jake enough that he glanced at Chuck, who was watching Raleigh, completely enraptured by the joy on his face. 

“You are telling me this story, and I’m _never_ letting her forget it.”

Chuck broke his reverent study of a happy Raleigh at Jake’s less than subtle kick under the island. “I wonder if she’s figured out she’s got two brothers now. You two should be terrified, eh?”

Raleigh and Jake shared a look that spoke volumes. It was the look of two people who knew Mako inside out. The look of those who rightly feared her. Chuck laughed, despite the fact that he too knew why they should be terrified. He’d certainly been on the receiving end of the tiny woman’s rage more than enough times. As though she could read their minds, or the vestiges of her ghost drift with Raleigh, Jake’s phone rang on the island with Mako’s face lighting up the screen.

Chuck and Jake both touched fingers to noses instantaneously shouting, “Not it!”

Raleigh swore and answered the phone with a too-chipper, “Morning, Mako!”

Jake smiled. This week was going to be fantastic.


	24. I'm Worried About The Future Holds, The Future Holds, I'm Seriously Worried About Ray

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Originally posted 2 August 2017. Fully edited and Beta'd by 25 December 2017. 
> 
> This chapter never fails to make me smile. It is in _no_ way a happy chapter. But I really like it. I promise that you'll find out what it is that Newt had the Russians get in a later chapter. A much later chapter, but I will tell you I swear. 
> 
> P.S. I did not provide translations for the non-English language bits in here because I feel like I explain what's been said in the text.

\-----July 25, 2022-----

**0600 HRS, Lab Seven, Vladivostok Dome, Vladivostok, Russia**

Aleksis Kaidonovsky looked down at the man before him with barely restrained fondness. He shared a look with Sasha and nudged the scientist with his steel-toed boot. 

_“Ziegenficker!”_ Newt Geiszler shouted as he snapped awake. Aleksis raised an eyebrow at being called a goat-fucker, but chalked it up to the strange place that was Dr. Geiszler’s head and let it go. 

_“Was liest du,_ Newt?” Sasha asked. 

“Huh? Oh. Um, it’s _The Half-Blood Prince_.” Newt said, wiping drool from his mouth, and the pages. He didn’t even realize that Sasha was practicing her German on him. 

Sasha smiled. Newt cringed. There was a collective agreement in the PPDC that no one short of the Marshal was anything less than terrified when Sasha Kaidonovsky smiled. Even Aleksis twitched a bit at his wife’s side. _“Das Buch ist auf Japanisch.”_

“Yeah.” Newt quickly closed the book and turned his attention to the box Aleksis held. “Hey! It came.”

Aleksis took pity on the scientist and interrupted his wife’s interrogation. “Yes. Very hard to find. But we get anything.”

“Strange request, Newt. You have access, no?” Sasha added. 

“Um. Yeah. Well, the Marshal limited my access last year after I forgot to return some tech. Anything like this I have to go through someone else to get.” 

“What is it for?” Aleksis asked as he deposited the box on Newt’s work table 

“It’s a gift.” Newt replied as he used a scalpel to open the box. 

“For Miss Mori.” Sasha stated. Newt’s eyes snapped up to the Russian woman’s smug face. Aleksis shared the same look. They were terrifying. Sasha registered the panic on the scientist’s face and went in for the kill. “You like her.”

“We’re friends.”

“Yes. This is not gift for friend.” Aleksis stated.

“Sure it is.” Newt answered, frowning down at the box now. 

“She will love it.” Sasha said. She patted Newt on the shoulder and pulled Aleksis after her. 

Newt stared at the contents of the box for several minutes before closing it back up and shoving it underneath his worktable. The parts from Taurax had already started arriving. He had a spleen and leg to dissect and catalogue. Hermann wasn’t due in the lab for another hour at least, not with Vanessa in the Dome working on upgrades to Cherno’s armor. He had the lab all to himself. With one last, forlorn look at the box, Newt snapped on gloves and got to work. 

\-----

**0100 HRS, Polaris Bar, Nome, Alaska**

Raleigh Becket swayed a bit on the stool he’d been occupying since the end of his shift on the Wall five hours before. 

The call went up halfway into his twelve-hour shift that another Kaiju was hitting the Philippines. Raleigh didn’t even flinch away from the girder he’d been welding. Not until the news filtered up that Striker Eureka was deployed. The cell phone Gene gave him rang as he heard two of the guys discussing the Mark V Jaeger. Raleigh jolted at the vibration from it and fumbled his gear to get to it. 

“You near a TV, kid?” Gene spoke evenly into the phone. 

“Up on a girder. She’s piloting again isn’t she?” Raleigh answered, turning his head to look out over the ocean towards Anchorage and Juneau. 

“Yeah. Calling this one Taurax. It’s a big one. Fighting dirty too. Nearly took out Vulcan on Guam first. Striker’s holding his own though. Your girl’s a good fighter.”

“She is. Her brother is better though.”

“That cocky little shit is too good. He’s never lost a fight. Not one that mattered anyway.”

“Yeah well, Herc’s parenting skills kinda went out the window when he joined the corps.”

“No excuse. Be safe, kid. I’ll call if it’s serious. You still in Nome?”

“Yeah. Your daughter forced you out of Juneau yet?”

“Moving next week. Denver’s still cold at least.”

Raleigh thumped his head against the girder. “Good. Keep in touch, old man.”

“Shit! Oh, sorry, kid. Striker just walloped the bastard good. Don’t fall off that damned wall. I’ll be pissed.” Gene hung up. 

Raleigh finished his shift then caught a ride with some other guys into Nome. He sauntered into Polaris Bar & Grill and spent the next few hours sipping cheap beer and watching the footage from the fight. Five hours he watched the networks cover every angle of Striker’s decisive takedown of Taurax. Five hours he listened to the same clip of Chuck Hansen gloating as reporters swarmed the Rangers. Five hours he saw the tension between brother and sister. 

Taurax hadn’t gone down easy. Coyote Tango and Vulcan Spectre were not there for support until late in the fight. It took the combined strength of all three Jaegers to outwit the ridiculously smart Kaiju. And whatever happened during the fight, the drift hadn’t been easy for the Hansen siblings. He could see it in the way Charlotte held herself just behind her brother. The Spinejackal takedown a few months earlier had been smooth. Charlotte and Chuck appeared on camera as a seamless team, moving in sync and finishing sentences as they bantered with aggressive reporters. 

The two were definitely not in sync now. Chuck’s blustering arrogance hid the aggressive set to his shoulders anytime his sister came within a foot of him. Charlotte barked orders to PPDC personnel with an identical stance. The two radiated tension and it took everything Raleigh had not to run from the bar all the way to Anchorage every time he saw the clip. 

Instead he worked his way through a dozen beers and let the lingering part of him that still felt like a Ranger assess the fight and the pilots post-drift. For five hours he fought the instinct to run to Charlotte’s rescue, to fling himself in front of danger for her. He fought an instinct that was only half his and ignored the world around him. 

He succeeded until someone forced him to do otherwise. A woman plopped herself down on the stool next to him interrupting his steady view of the television. She wore bulky clothing and the hard frown of all the long-term Wall-chasers. A quick glance at him and his beer was all the attention she paid to him, but Raleigh couldn’t stop looking at her. 

He couldn’t be sure what it was, but he wanted her. She realized, after a few beers of her own, that he wasn’t just watching the TV and swung on her stool to face him. 

“What?” She asked, arching an unimpressed eyebrow at him. Raleigh whipped out his press-ready smile. She faltered a little, but the frown returned and she narrowed her eyes at him. “Really, man? How much have you had to drink?”

“Enough.” Raleigh answered, still smiling at her. She wouldn’t be the first person he’d fucked since he began chasing the wall a year ago. She would be the first person to require a little effort, though. Maybe this time he’d actually feel something. 

“Look. I just came off a twelve-hour shift. I just want to get drunk and then hit my bunk. I’m not gonna fuck you.”

“Fine with me. I’m gonna leave soon anyways. Due back up in a few hours myself.”

The woman grumbled into her beer as she took a long pull. They sat in silence for a while, Raleigh watching the news footage and her. She alternated between watching with him and turning her head to the left to study him. After an hour she seemed to come to a decision because she called the bartender over and closed her tab. She kicked Raleigh hard in the shin, prompting him to close his tab too. 

She finished her beer and, with a significant look in his direction, she sauntered out of the bar. Raleigh waited half a beat and followed her. No one looked twice at them. She led him down the street towards the barracks set up for the Wall-jockeys. Before they reached it she shoved him down an alley and up against a brick wall. 

“You’re Raleigh Becket.” She said, accusingly, arms folded and standing three feet away from him. 

Raleigh frowned. Not many people recognized him anymore. “So what if I am?”

“My boyfriend had a poster of you in his room. He worshiped you.”

Raleigh didn’t answer. 

“He died in the last attack on Vancouver. The kaiju took out three Jaegers and then destroyed six shelters. My brother was in the first one. He was eighteen. Even after Knifehead, after you ran, he kept that poster up. Said what happened didn’t make you any less of a hero. He was an idiot. There are no heroes in this world. Not anymore. But he wasn’t wrong. What happened to your brother, it doesn’t change any of the good you did, the people you saved.” 

Raleigh scoffed and looked away. 

“I was surprised when I realized it was you trying to pick me up back there. Then I realized it made perfect sense. You’ve pulled yourself together enough to function, but you’re still numb. And every time you see a Jaeger fighting, all you can feel is the numbness. I bet you pull any willing body you can, after seeing a Jaeger take down one of those monsters. And when a Jaeger falls, I bet you sign up for an even more dangerous shift on the Wall.”

Raleigh whipped his head around to study her. He’d barely spoken to this woman, but she’d pinned him down anyway. He noticed the streak of white through her brown hair. The hard set to her mouth belied the obvious youth still clinging to her face. That, and the tense stance she took, spoke of a hard life. 

“You want back in a Jaeger don’t you?”

“Fuck you.” Raleigh spat. 

“No. Not really big on the whole touching thing. But you crave it. You need the confirmation that you’re still alive. Me? I said no because I almost died in that shelter, pinned down by bodies. I was so traumatized, my fucking hair turned white from the stress. The rescue crew pulled me out from under my boyfriend. Haven’t been able to do more than shake someone’s hand since.”

“So why lead me here?” 

“Because you need the human interaction, so do I. But neither of us would benefit from a meaningless fuck right now. So we’re going to talk. About anything, nothing, whatever. I need to know that the man my boyfriend worshiped is still alive and you need to convince yourself not to go running off to the closest Dome to climb into a Jaeger.”

“That simple, huh?” Raleigh whispered, looking at the ground now. 

“That simple.”

“Well, at least the weather is nice.” He quipped. She snorted, but took up a spot next to him, leaning against the wall. 

“I’m Anna Marie. I’m from Caldecott, Mississippi. I ran away from home at sixteen cause my Aunt Carrie was crazy. Hitchhiked cross-country and ended up in Seattle.”

Anna Marie prattled on about her life as a teen runaway and meeting the, now dead, boyfriend and Raleigh found that she was right. A meaningless fuck wouldn’t have made him feel any less numb or removed the temptation to run back to the Icebox. Listening to a twenty-year-old girl ramble on, that made him feel connected. He surprised himself by interjecting with stories of his own, all post-Knifehead of course. He settled in and accepted that he’d made a friend. 

\-----

**1115 HRS, Mess Hall, Hong Kong Shatterdome, Victoria Harbour, Hong Kong, China**

Wei Jin watched his brothers shovel down obscene amounts of food from across the table. The triplets were full of nervous energy after watching their fellow Rangers defeat Taurax the day before. Crimson Typhoon had not deployed, still undergoing updates to its operating systems. The J-Techs teams had united, PPDC wide, last year and bullied their pilots into a frenzy until the UN agreed to allocate funding for updates. If Striker Eureka was going to be the first and last of the Mark Vs, then the J-Techs were going to make sure that every Jaeger in service was in prime condition. 

Last month began Crimson’s overhaul. The triplets were diligent about helping their crew wherever possible, but as Taurax appeared off the coast of Guam, the crew banished the brothers to watch the fight with everyone else. Seeing Striker hold off the Kaiju for hours while Coyote and Vulcan were in transit, the Wei Tangs had been bundles of nervous energy. The Hansens were their friends. Chuck was their spare. Older, more experienced pilots were falling right and left to the Kaiju. Striker was in danger. 

The post fight celebration, hosted by the Wei Tangs of course, had raged well into the night. Many of the Mess Hall’s current occupants were certainly nursing hangovers. All Jin wanted, though, was to talk to Chuck. Or Mako. Either was acceptable. 

He’d seen the interviews after, saw how tense the Hansens were. Some of the LOCCENT techs who’d cycled through the party last night indicated at an unstable drift before the fight got underway. Jin wanted to know what the fuck was wrong. He knew Chuck would call them eventually, but Mako would be the Australian’s first contact. She always would be. The two shared enough daddy issues and rage between them to set the world aflame. He needed to know that his friend was okay. If he got that information straight from Chuck, or secondhand from Mako, didn’t matter. 

Cheung and Hu studied their brother as he picked at his breakfast. Jin was entirely too serious sometimes. They could practically see the thoughts swirling in his head. Cheung picked up a lump of rice with his chopsticks and flung it at Jin’s head. It stuck wetly to his eyebrow and all three brothers immediately armed themselves with more food. A mini-food fight ensued, ending only when Jin successfully managed to get rice in Hu’s ear. 

Hu got all the rice out of his ear and smiled at his brothers. Jin still looked too serious, though. Hu rolled his eyes and quickly finished his food. Nothing was going to settle Jin down until he heard from Chuck. Cheung caught on and he too finished his food, pocketing a few mantou for later. They manhandled Jin off his bench and towards their bunk where they could make a call in private.


	25. I've Given Too Much Of Myself And Now It's Driving Me Crazy

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Originally posted 10 August 2017. Fully edited and Beta'd by 25 December 2017.
> 
> Part 2B of the Three parter from Chapter 21. 
> 
> Smut. 
> 
> Unhealthy coping mechanisms for mental health issues. 
> 
> This is the summary for chapter twenty-five.

\-----April 28, 2025-----

**0545 HRS, Green Street, London W1K, England, UK**

Charlotte Hansen woke up in an unfamiliar bed, head reeling from a spectacular hangover. Her first night in London was spent talking with Steve until the wee hours, emotion pouring out of her until she’d quite literally collapsed. Steve and James carried her to her bed and tucked her in, letting her sleep. The next morning, she woke up to the familiar weight of her pent up emotional baggage, but found it bearable. 

The next forty-eight hours were spent in an intense round-robin of therapy sessions. Steve forced her to confront every single lingering issue she’d even considered having from the last five years. He let nothing go, made her examine every negative and positive reaction. He even coerced her into admitting that the fights she kept starting with her brother and Raleigh were drawn from the deep-seated abandonment issues she held onto from her years as an RAAF brat, hauled all over Australia. 

Steve released her the night before and told her to go have fun. 

Now, she was rolling off of a very comfortable mattress and trying to figure out where the fuck she was. A snore from the other side of the bed startled her. Charlotte yelped and woke up the bed’s occupant. When she saw who it was, she groaned in frustration. Trust her to find the one guy in London she probably shouldn’t have slept with. 

Just as her bed partner sat up, Charlotte realized she was still completely clothed. She sighed in relief and grimaced at the smug look turned her way. 

“Oi. Fuck you.” She snapped. 

“You didn’t actually.” The smooth Southern California drawl of Logan Taylor never failed to infuriate Charlotte. Never. Failed. 

“Where the fuck are we?”

“My father’s favorite London bachelor pad. He hid it from my mom in the divorce and handed it over to me when I turned twenty-five.” 

“Yeah well, how is your father? Enjoying prison?” She jabbed, looking for her left boot under the bed. 

Logan’s head appeared next to hers under the edge of the bed. He reached in and grabbed onto the combat boot that somehow made it completely under the mattress. Charlotte pulled back and sat back to pull the boot on, re-lacing the hastily discarded shoe. 

“I’m glad you finally caught him, you know.” Logan said, watching her. 

Charlotte snapped her head up to look at him. “I figured you hated me.”

“Nope. Dad’s a bastard. That Ian guy? He’s worse.” Charlotte nodded. He’d get no argument from her there. “I’m in London because of you.”

“Why?”

“I want in. Dad refused to let me enlist when I turned seventeen. Said an Ambassador’s son didn’t belong on the front lines. I spent all my time and money volunteering to clean up Kaiju Blue instead. He spun that around as good publicity for him so I went to school, got a degree in neuroscience. Saw too many people die from Kaiju Blue. He used that to his favor too. He’s gone now. He can’t use my accomplishments. Fuck. He can’t use my ability to be a decent person as political fuel anymore. I can be useful to the PPDC. I want in.”

Charlotte stood up and stared down at the man before her. The Logan Taylor she remembered from the early days of her battles with the UN was an impossibly angry twenty-one-year-old. Five years on, she could see the rage boiling underneath his skin. The need to do something, to prove he was nothing like his father. She could respect that. For all that she was every inch her father’s daughter, her daddy issues still fueled much of her personality. 

“Fine. Enlist. You fuck up once though, hand information over to anyone about how we’re restructuring, _anything_ , and you’re gone. I will personally kick your ass out and hand you over to join your father in prison.”

Logan surged to his feet and used the four inches and twenty pounds of muscle he had on her to lift her off the ground in a tight hug. She struggled and complained until he set her on her feet. 

“Don’t look so excited, Logan. If I thought for an instant that you’d be a bad addition to the corps, I’d have told you so. But I’m not in charge and you’re going to have to prove yourself to those who are. Your father screwed us over for years.”

“I’m used to dealing with his shit legacy. Oh, man when I found you in that pub last night, I never thought you’d say yes.”

“You found me.” Charlotte said, eyes narrowed. 

“Yeah, I went looking for you. Followed the social media postings from bar to bar till I found you.”

“How did we end up here then?”

“You were plastered. Some guy was coming onto you and you looked ready to deck him. I swooped in and convinced you to come home with me instead. I tried leaving you in here to sleep it off and you kept pulling me in for a cuddle. Didn’t know you liked me that much Charlotte.” Logan said, smug. 

“Ugh. I do remember that. Fuck. I get maudlin when I’m drinking whiskey.” 

“Why whiskey?” Logan asked as Charlotte exited the room. 

“None of your business.”

Logan trailed after her as she made to leave the flat. Charlotte steadfastly ignored him. She reached the front door and made to open it, but Logan slapped a hand against it and held it closed. He maneuvered his way between her and the door, earning himself a deadly glare in the process. 

“Let me make you breakfast.”

“No. I’m leaving.”

“Please? I’ll drive you wherever you want to go. You’re not gonna find a taxi this time of morning, Charlotte. It’s a Monday, every cab in a five-mile radius is up on Oxford Street.”

Charlotte continued to glare, but turned around and headed for the kitchen. She tore into Logan’s fridge and pulled out enough food to feed an army. “Get to work.” She snapped and took a seat at the island, already texting Steve to let him know she was fine.

Logan hopped to the stove and began whipping up breakfast. Charlotte watched him surreptitiously as she pondered texting her brother or Raleigh. She’d been on radio silence with them since climbing into Steve’s car. Quick check-ins with Jake assured her that they were fine and enjoying being tourists in the city, but she itched to speak to her brother. Logan practically danced around the kitchen making pancakes, eggs, and sausage. She decided not to text Chuck. 

“Why the insistence on making me breakfast?”

“Seemed like the only thank you you’d accept.”

“I’m not letting you in the PPDC, Logan. You have to go through the same process as anyone else.”

“Yeah, but you won’t kill my application. And you’ll make sure no one else does either.” 

“Why’d you pull me out of that pub last night?”

“Told you, I didn’t want you beating the shit out of the guy hitting on you.”

“And?”

“And,” Logan paused and looked at her over his shoulder. “And you looked like you needed someone. Whatever’s going on with you, Charlotte, it’s plain to see you need some company. Obviously your family and friends are not the company you want, though, or you wouldn’t have been out alone last night.” 

“And you wanted me to help you into the PPDC.”

“That too.”

They sat in silence for several minutes, sizzling sausages and pancakes the only sound in the kitchen. Logan deposited plates and bowls full of food in succession on the island, along with plates and utensils. They dug in and it wasn’t until Charlotte was on her second plate that Logan asked a question. 

“You were in love with Yancy Becket, weren’t you?”

Charlotte froze. “How the fuck is that any of your business?”

“You had a nightmare. I woke you up and you called me Yancy. Dad always assumed you were involved with Raleigh and Ian never shut up about the two of them being with you. Look, you’re right, it’s none of my business. I was just curious.”

“No it ain’t. But, yeah. I was in love with him. I had three good months with him and then he died. I was a pregnant teenager fighting giant monsters inside giant robots. My life is a bloody science-fiction plot, okay?” Logan nodded. “Any other burning questions?”

Logan pushed his plate away and circled the island to lean over Charlotte. “Just one.” He said, turning her chair around. “Can I kiss you?”

Charlotte frowned. “So, what you wait until I’m sober to come on to me?”

“No. I’ve been waiting since I met you. My dad being a dick kept me from asking you for years. I’m not looking for anything here, just want to see how this mutual attraction will play out.”

“And if I say no?”

“Then I step away and drive you wherever you need to be.”

Charlotte carefully considered Logan. He was certainly an attractive man. And he’d been a gentleman to her last night, and this morning. 

“Oh, fuck it, why not?” She blurted out and pulled him down to kiss her. 

Logan lifted her off the stool and carried her through the kitchen towards the back bedroom. He tossed her on the bed and climbed over her. She slipped a leg around his and rolled them. Sitting on his lap, she grasped his shirt and pulled him up to keep kissing him. They slowly divested themselves of clothing, more interested in snogging than sex. At least until Logan rolled them again and ground his hips into Charlotte’s. She broke their kiss and moaned, allowing him to latch onto her neck. 

Charlotte raked her short nails down his back and Logan snapped his hips into hers. He pulled back to rip her trousers open and down her legs. Her boots were already on the floor. She leaned up as he pushed his own trousers off and nipped his bottom lip. 

“You know this is a one-off, right?” She asked as he reached into the nightstand for a condom. 

“Yep. We’d never work.”

“Good. Get down here.”

He grinned and let her pull him down to her chest where he paid due attention to her breasts. His hand slipped between her legs and he teased her, pushing her to the edge and pulling back until she growled and pulled him up. She bit down hard on his lips, drawing blood and rolled them over. Charlotte rolled the condom over him and sank down in one fluid motion. 

Logan groaned and his eyes rolled back as Charlotte rode him hard and fast. They chased their orgasms, hands and lips easing the way along with the brutal rhythm of their hips. Charlotte came first with a shout and kept up her rhythm until Logan’s hand tightened on her hips, leaving bruises, and he too shouted out. She rolled off of him, panting hard. 

He disposed of the condom and then propped his head up on her belly. The look on his face spoke volumes and Charlotte smiled. He returned it and reached for the nightstand again, this time pulling out a strip of condoms. Charlotte reached up and bit his neck, bruising him. He laughed and round two was underway. 

\-----

Logan and Charlotte came up for air four hours later. Both were covered in scratches and bruises, looking more like they’d been in a running fight through the woods than a morning of rough sex. Charlotte dressed and realized that, while the sex had been fucking fantastic, she probably shouldn’t have slept with Logan. One of the things Steve impressed on her the night before was the need to focus on her problems rather than deflecting them with sex or alcohol. 

Well, she’d gone out and done both. 

At least she could say that Logan knew this was a one-off. They were working off some lingering attraction and emotional baggage. He’d basically told her as much during rounds four and five. Now, as she climbed into his BMW and let him drive her back to Steve’s, she could admit to herself that it was time she confronted her brother and Raleigh. 

The resulting fight would be rough, but she needed to do it. She owed it to herself, to them. 

Steve was waiting for her on the stoop when Logan dropped her off. He took one look at the blooming hickeys on her neck and rolled his eyes. 

“I was sober for the sex.” She said. 

“Well that’s something at least.” He responded. “Get it out of your system?”

“I think so.”

“Good, because today is all about learning _healthy_ coping mechanisms.” Steve said dryly. 

“Oh fuck you, Rogers.”

“Sharon would not appreciate that, Charlotte.”


	26. Sometimes These Walls Seem To Cave In On Me, When I Look In Your Eyes, I Feel Alive

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Originally posted 11 August 2017. Fully edited and Beta'd by 25 December 2017. (Kept the original AN. This is seriously one of my favorite chapters. I decided to name the kid Xiang. I hope we see him in the new movie.)
> 
> All hail the pompadour. 
> 
> Tendo hasn't made a significant appearance here yet. I felt that was a problem. Someday I'm gonna create a one-shot collection of all the plot bunnies our favorite non-Rangers dominate in my head. And some of our Rangers too...I mean the amount of Wei Tang-Chuck shenanigans I've thought of at this point...extensive and ridiculous to say the least. But I have to finish this first!!!! 
> 
> So, Tendo and Alison. I wish we knew more about her, cause the lady in my head is a total fucking badass. 
> 
> Also, I need their kid's name.

\-----November 26, 2022-----

**0330 HRS, Officers Quarters, Suite 7, Icebox, Anchorage, Alaska**

Tendo Choi was tired. 

He felt the bone-deep weariness that YeYe Choi used to complain about before Trespasser. His grandfather always claimed that this was a sign that he worked hard and something good was coming as his reward. Standing here in the Icebox, the scene of so much tragedy in the last two years, Tendo hoped his grandfather was right. Of all the advice his YeYe gave during the long years of his misspent youth, Tendo held on to his last words. YeYe told him to “Endure this," and Tendo would. 

He glanced down at his shirt. The tag reading “Commander Choi” still felt incredibly out of place there. He’d teased the Marshal, as much as Pentecost would allow, about what he planned on getting Tendo for his thirtieth birthday, since he was his favorite LOCCENT tech and all. The promotion was not what he expected, or wanted really. But six months on, and so many people dead and gone, Tendo knew the Marshal made the right choice. He wasn’t going anywhere, especially not now. 

Alison Choi slept soundly in their bed and Tendo let his attention wander to his wife. He knew the day after Knifehead that he would marry her. When Yancy Becket died, Alison spent every waking moment she wasn’t on duty bringing Tendo food and tea, bullying him into sleeping and holding him when the pain of losing his best friend got to be too much. She adopted Charlotte Hansen too, forcing the young pilot to break from her vigil at Raleigh’s bedside and take care of herself. The munitions officer deftly handled the time bomb that Raleigh became every time he woke and realized his brother wasn’t there, fetching Charlotte or Tendo when she couldn’t soothe him herself. And she did all of that and more for him within the first twenty-four hours after Gipsy appeared on the Alaskan coastline. 

Two years later and he’d managed to keep her around and even convinced her to marry him. Currently, she slept on despite his insomnia. He watched her steady breathing from the side of the bed for a long while, all other thoughts driven from his head at the sight of her. He wondered if she’d always have that effect on him, making him stupid with love. 

He reached out and brushed a lock of hair from her eyes. Alison’s eyes popped open immediately. Her situational awareness far exceeded his, she was always awake and barking orders to the other munitions technicians on her way to the Jaeger Bay before he’d even managed to climb out of bed during a Kaiju Alert. She took notice of the haunted look in his eyes and pulled him down to hold in her arms. 

“What’s wrong?” Alison asked once Tendo settled in next to her. 

“Can’t sleep.”

“And why can’t you sleep?”

“Vic and Gunnar.”

“They took the bastard with them. They’d be pissed at you for losing sleep over them.”

“I know. But we’ve lost thirty Jaegers in two years, how are we supposed to fight something that keeps learning the best ways to kill us?”

“I don’t know.” She leaned forward and kissed her husband gently on his forehead. “But I do know that I’m not gonna stop fighting. You won’t either. Whatever happens, we owe it to everyone we’ve lost to keep fighting.”

“Is that enough?”

“It has to be.”

Tendo ducked his head and placed a kiss at the junction of her neck and shoulder. Alison held onto him, thinking the silence meant he was finally falling asleep. She started to doze off again but startled awake when he shifted and spoke again. 

“Do you ever think about starting a family?”

“Married for a year and you ask me this now?”

“Yes?” Tendo ventured, tentatively. 

Alison smacked him across the back of the head. “Of course I do, idiot. I didn’t know you wanted kids.”

“Never did. Always something my parents expected of me. YeYe used to tell them that it wasn’t my responsibility to give them grandchildren. And after Trespasser I didn’t even want to think about it.”

“So what’s changed?”

“You.” Alison smiled at him and he ducked in to kiss her quickly. “Well, and YeYe told me to ‘endure this,’ and I don’t see how we can survive this if there’s nothing to fight for. I never thought about kids ‘til I met you. Never thought I’d have another reason to keep fighting the Kaiju. Now I do, and I feel like we’re cheating ourselves of happiness, of hope, if we don’t try.”

Alison looked into his eyes, searching his face for any signs of, well she wasn’t sure what she was looking for. All she saw was Tendo looking back at her with love, hope, and a more than healthy dose of trepidation. She’d latched onto those eyes the moment she met him three years ago. It was only her lingering loyalty to her ex that kept her from jumping straight into bed with Tendo. She and Brian had been drifting apart for months when they were assigned to the Icebox. 

Three months of Brian’s constant second-guessing and complete inability to accept her proficiency as a munitions expert and she was more than willing to accept Tendo’s invitation to dinner. She never expected Brian to show up and interrupt that date. Nor did he expect her to dump him and drag Tendo into her quarters where they talked until the Kaiju alert went out. Tendo’s world cracked in two when Gipsy went down in the pre-dawn hours. She ran herself ragged doing her part to keep him and then Charlotte and Raleigh close to sanity those next few months. And she did it all because of the same look in his eyes that she saw now. 

“So we try.”

“Really!” Tendo practically shouted in surprise. 

“Yes, really.”

“You don’t think we’re idiots for wanting to have a kid in the middle of a war?”

“Nope. Besides, I can’t resist any of your stupid plans when you look at me like that.”

Tendo grinned and dove in for a kiss. He loved this woman. She loved him. He couldn’t believe he was lucky enough to have kept her around. He hugged her close, peppering kisses along her jaw and eyelids. 

“Tendo!” Alison giggled. “Tendo! Look, I’m still on birth control. I’ll go to medical soon as I can and get the implant taken out. You know it’s probably gonna take a while before this happens?” 

“Yeah. I know, but we owe ourselves a bit of happiness.”

Alison smiled and kissed her husband. He was right, they did owe themselves a bit of happiness.


	27. Tragedy Has A Hold Of My Mind, But I Can See The Light Between The Lines

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Originally posted 20 August 2017. Fully edited and Beta'd by 25 December 2017.
> 
> This was a tough chapter. I spent a lot of time on it. More edits have been made, but nothing major. I tried to balance everything out. The Hansens are healing, learning to talk to each other. Other people are still coping with their own problems. And the ghosts are slowly being put to rest for all our pilots. 
> 
> P.S. I got a bottle of Glennfiddich as a gift (from a friend who is a lot wealthier than I am) a couple years back. I cried it was so good. It felt like the right drink for Yancy and Charlotte.  
> P.P.S. You'll have noticed I named Tatiana's London house. Kitezh is a mythical city in Russia that is invisible to all but the faithful. Take from that what you will.

\------April 30, 2025-----

**1015 HRS, Kitezh House, Drayton Gardens SW10, Chelsea, London, England**

Diana Charlotte Hansen felt like a coward. She sat in Steve’s car, the same utilitarian Range Rover that carried her away from her brother and Raleigh on that runway just a few days ago, and stared up at the door to Tatiana’s London bolt-hole. For the past few days she’d gone through a crash course in PTSD treatment. Then, the one moment Steve looked away and told her to take a break, she jumped into bed with someone she shouldn’t have, again. She didn’t regret it, never did, but she did regret disappointing Steve. He’d been adamant that her bed-hopping was an unhealthy coping mechanism and she should stop it. 

Logan, though, that was a long-standing attraction she acted on not in a moment of emotional instability, but because he didn’t want anything from her. Had she said no, he would have backed off instantly and their relationship wouldn’t change. Now they’d had sex, it still didn’t change. Steve still lectured her a bit on the episode, convincing her that celibacy was a great idea until she sorted her head out. 

Charlotte promised him a twenty-minute phone call three times a week the moment she set foot back in Hong Kong. For now, she still had two days left in London on leave, two days Steve insisted she spend with Chuck and Raleigh. He said she needed to confront her issues before she even thought about jockeying again. And the biggest blocks to her treatment were Chuck and Raleigh. 

So, here she sat, hiding in Steve’s car as he waited for her to work up the nerve to go inside. 

She was saved from that decision by Jacob Pentecost opening the door and looking straight through the windscreen at her with a seriously unimpressed look. She knew that particular facial expression well, his father wore it almost constantly around her. From Jake, it was incredibly effective. She cleared her throat and opened the door. Steve got out too and headed to the back to grab her bag. Jake came down the steps and, arms crossed, quirked an eyebrow at her expectantly. 

“Hey Jake.” Charlotte said, all of her typical Hansen bravado gone. 

“That’s what I get? ‘Hey Jake?’ Really?”

“Um. Hello Jake, sorry I scarpered off and didn’t speak to you for a few days, despite being in the same city. I’m an idiot and I have serious issues.”

“You’ll get no arguments from me.” He opened his arms and drew her into a tight hug. “So,” He whispered in her ear as Steve began walking towards them with her bags. “You know they’ve been bloody lost without you this week.”

“Somehow I doubt that, Jake.”

Jake pulled back to look at her, really look, hands on her shoulders. “You won’t be able to pull this shit with me around, so you best belt up and learn to deal with it. Now get in there and don’t cock it up.”

He shoved Charlotte away, towards the door and turned to shake Steve’s hand. Both men looked at her until she sighed and walked up the steps to the door. She took a deep breath and stepped into the foyer, dropping her bags just inside. Chuck was waiting at the end of the short hallway, leaning against the wall.

Charlotte smiled at her little brother. She never did do well with separation from him. Too many terrified hours clinging together during and after the Scissure attack programmed her to stay close with him, something the drift only intensified. Chuck did not smile back. 

Raleigh popped his head around the corner and glanced between the two of them. He leaned in and whispered something in Chuck’s ear that had the younger man grinning and rolling his eyes. Then Raleigh pressed a quick kiss to Chuck’s temple and made his way down the hall towards Charlotte. He stopped in front of her and stared her down, forcing her to keep eye contact. 

“You better?”

“No.” Charlotte answered quickly. “But I’m getting there.”

“Good. I’m gonna go talk with Steve for a bit. Whatever you do, Lotte, don’t interrupt him. He’s got every right to his anger.”

Charlotte glanced over Raleigh’s shoulder to where her brother was watching them. “I’ll do my best.”

Raleigh snorted. “Do better than that Charlotte. Don’t act like me and Yance did.”

Charlotte frowned. She hadn’t thought of it that way. Raleigh clapped a hand on her shoulder and then the door was closing behind him. Charlotte heard the sound of the Range Rover’s doors closing and knew that she and Chuck were left truly alone in the house. 

Chuck turned his back on her and disappeared into the house. Charlotte followed. He led them into the sitting room and dropped onto one of the sofas. Charlotte sat across from him in one of the wingback chairs. She felt like she’d been summoned before the headmaster, rather than here to have a heart-to-heart with her brother. 

They sat in silence for long enough that Charlotte started having flashbacks to the early days of the K-War when she refused to speak to her father for any reason. Chuck stared at her, studying every minute twitch of her face and body. He realized that he hadn’t really looked at her in months. The typically vibrant, larger-than-life woman who bull-headedly battled men and monsters on a daily basis looked drawn and sallow. 

She was still his beautiful sister, all sharp cheekbones and piercing gray eyes, but she wasn’t herself. Shadows clung under her eyes and wrinkles fanned out around the edges of her mouth. She didn’t look twenty-four. She looked like a soldier still on the front lines rather than the second-in-command of a victorious army. 

“You look like shit, Charlie.” Chuck said, frowning. 

“Oh because you look bloody wonderful after all that time in medical.” Chuck raised his eyebrows. Charlotte looked away, cowed. “Sorry, it’s a gut reaction. You know that.” 

“I do.” Chuck looked down at his hands. “How did it get this bad, Charlie? Why didn’t you let me in?”

“Couldn’t.”

“Don’t lie to me.”

Charlotte looked at him and then away, trying to find the words to explain herself. “I was terrified I’d get you and dad killed. It’s not like we’re all that great at recognizing and expressing our emotions, yeah? After that horrible drift fighting Taurax, I couldn’t risk your lives. So I shoved everything to the side. All I needed was my anger and determination, so that’s all I felt. Stella was my only bright spot. She’s the only thing that’s kept me sane the past few years. That and the mission.”

Chuck stared at her. He wasn’t sure what to say. Charlotte wasn’t looking at him, her own hands held all her attention now. 

“I would love to blame this all on Herc, ya know? Even before Scissure, I was always his good little soldier. I was the one who knew, just _knew_ , that I’d end up a pilot too. Mum hated it. She got this horrified look on her face every time I said I wanted to be like him. Do you remember the first time you said the same thing?”

“No.” Chuck murmured. 

“Yeah, probably wouldn’t. You were maybe six or seven. Dad took us on base for the day and stuck us in flight simulators. One of his buddies thought it’d be funny to put us in the sim for the F-18 two-seater. Herc couldn’t pull us out for hours. You went home and told mum, point blank, that you’d be flying jets like dad. She started crying. Dad bundled her off to their room and they had this huge row. That night I told her that if you were going to be a pilot then you’d always fly with me, I’d keep you safe. Dad put me to bed and told me not to talk about being a pilot with mum anymore. That’s the first time I remember them actually fighting about the military. He shipped out for ten months after that and you decided to be a croc wrangler instead.”

Chuck snorted. He fondly remembered his obsession with crocs. He firmly blamed his Papa for taking him to that croc park and letting him get so close to a salty in the first place. Charlotte wasn’t done though. 

“Do you know why we had such a problem drifting during Taurax?”

“No.”

“Ian served me with papers challenging my custody about a month after Spinejackal. The Marshal and I kept it from you and Herc. Didn’t want you distracted in the drift. The only reason I was in Sydney at all that week was because I managed to get the hearing in front of an Australian judge. Ian said that I was hell-bent on jockeying full-time again. That I had a reputation for recklessness and it would get me killed. I swore to a judge that I would only jockey again if it were an emergency and two days later Taurax came along and there we were. I barely maintained that drift because I was hiding it from you. Taurax was reading us so easily because I was distracted.”

Chuck looked hard at his sister. He _knew_ she’d been hiding shit from him then. “You threw everything you had into that fight, but you were losing it. I could feel it. When you handed over the controls to me, let me lead, you dropped those walls. I felt _everything_ you were holding back, just for a second. And all I could think while we fought that bastard was that you didn’t trust me, Charlie.”

Chuck paused, waiting for her to say something, _anything._ When she didn’t, he huffed and shifted uncomfortably on the couch. “Three years I’ve had that in the back of my mind, Charlie. You’re my sister. Fuck, you’re my _drift partner._ We’re supposed to know each other inside out. Feeling that, knowing you were holding back on me, I didn’t know how to react. The custody thing doesn’t matter. I would’ve handled it. _We_ would’ve handled it. What matters is that you nearly fucked up a drift, kept secrets, and then you bloody ran away. You took every opportunity to cart yourself and Stella away from Sydney. You left me alone with Herc and just expected us to deal without you. _You left me._ You promised never to leave me.”

“I know.”

“Three years you’ve been running away from me. You could’ve piloted Striker, instead you fucking ran away from me, your problems, and got yourself grounded in fucking Sydney. I bet you thought you could just throw walls up again and make it through that test with me last year like I wouldn’t notice.” Charlotte flinched. “You did. Fuck, Charlie. When did Pentecost start asking you where Raleigh was?”

“Two years ago. Once Mako earned her fifty-first kill in the sim. He wanted him back and in Gipsy with Herc, or you. I was supposed to pilot Striker with you or dad.”

“Instead you failed a drift with me _and_ Herc. You know how hard it was to pilot Striker again with him after that? We both knew something was _wrong_ , Charlie. And we couldn’t do a bloody thing about it because you didn’t trust us. But, you’re right, you were a good little soldier until the end. Ignoring your own problems right up until they crippled you.”

Charlotte coughed to cover a sob. She ducked her head to hide her tears. 

“But that wasn’t the end of it. You gave up Raleigh’s location. Sent Pentecost after him. Did you really believe he’d come back?” 

“No. I didn’t. He promised me he’d come back when he was ready. Five years he contacted me from the Wall, the bloody fucking _Wall_.”

“You thought he’d tell Stacker to fuck off.”

“Yeah.”

“So you didn’t trust him either.” Chuck studied his sister closely now. “How long did it take for you to start hating him?”

Charlotte’s head snapped up. “I don’t hate him.”

“The fuck you don’t.” 

_“I don’t.”_

“Now you’re lying to yourself and me.”

Charlotte considered it. _Did she hate her best friend?_

“You hate him. He lived and Yancy didn’t. He ran away and left you. He didn’t come back when you needed him. I bet you contacted him after Taurax didn’t you? He didn’t respond, did he?” Charlotte blanched. “He knows you hate him. He doesn’t know what to do with it, thinks it’s all his fault. Thinks he failed you by living when Yancy didn’t, for not dying in the Breach. But you hate him a little because you hate yourself more.”

“Christ, Chuck, you sound like Steve.”

 _“Good.”_ He stood up and leaned over her chair. “Because if Raleigh hadn’t vouched for him, we’d have trashed this house fighting this week til I got all this out of you.”

She stubbornly turned her head away. 

“Nuh uh. None of that. No more secrets, Charlie. Soon as we get back, we’re drifting. You don’t want to actually _talk_ about any of this, fine. But we’re still gonna solve our problems, the _Hansen_ way. You and I are gonna let it all loose, if we rabbit, so be it. We’ll climb right back in until you can look me in the eye and trust me again.”

With that bit of finality, Chuck hauled Charlotte up out of her chair and hugged her tight. He held her until she sank against him, tears silently streaming down her cheeks. With the close contact, Chuck felt the tendrils of their ghost drift twinge with the echoes of their emotions. Chuck clung tighter to her, remembering the day their mother died and how he never let go of her. Remembered the weeks after when he couldn’t stand to lose sight of his big sister. How she assured him, over and over again, that they’d avenge their mum. She held him just as tightly, forcing herself to confront all the rage and despair she’d pushed away for so long. They stayed that way until the sound of the Range Rover pulling in forced them out of their little bubble. 

They broke away from each other as Jake and Raleigh’s voices echoed in the foyer. The two found Charlotte and Chuck standing shoulder-to-shoulder appearing, not relaxed, but resigned. Both of them radiated a level of confidence that Jake hadn’t seen in years. The Hansen siblings were back, or close to it. Jake almost wished the Kaiju _would_ come back at the sight. 

Raleigh grinned wryly. “Worked it out?”

“No, but we will.” Chuck answered with a pointed look at his sister. In the months since Pitfall, Raleigh hardly saw the siblings in the same room. Now, looking at them standing next to each other, he saw how broken they’d been. This tableau brought out the strength in Charlotte, in Chuck. Separate, they were impressive. Together they were incandescent. 

Raleigh nodded his head and left the room. He needed to talk to Mako. Now. 

Charlotte crumpled a little when Raleigh left the room. Chuck squeezed her shoulder and followed him out. He had a feeling he’d find Raleigh on the phone with his copilot. Jake swooped in and engaged Charlotte in conversation. He forced her to pull out pictures of Stella and kept her occupied. This was why they all loved Jake. 

Chuck found Raleigh in the master bedroom they’d claimed as theirs. He was hunched over the roll-top desk in the corner, holo-screen open and Mako’s voice echoing through the room. 

“Are you ready to confront this Raleigh?” Mako asked gently. Chuck strayed in the entryway, waiting to hear Raleigh’s answer. 

“No.” He huffed out a pitiful chuckle. “But I need to. I need to know why she won’t let me in. We used to rely on each other. Ever since I came back, all I’ve gotten is anger and jealousy from her.”

“You want to fix her.”

“ _No!_ No. No I don’t. She’s got to fix herself. I just want us to be friends again.”

“Then wait for her to come to you. Why did you call me, when you knew the answer already?”

“You didn’t see them, Mako. When I walked in the room, it was like looking at those posters. I looked and all I could see was Yancy and me, staring back.”

Chuck’s eyes bugged. He stepped into the room, where Mako could definitely see him behind Raleigh. She tilted her head and gave him a questioning look. Raleigh still had his head buried in his arms on the desktop. 

“Raleigh. It is okay to miss him. But you cannot isolate yourself every time you feel this way. I am going to hang up now. You should talk to Charlotte. And Chuck. Good-bye, _Ani._ ”

Raleigh smiled at her, feeling better already. She smiled back and hung up. He swung his arms up and cracked his shoulders, savoring the pull in his left shoulder. His physical therapist thought he might reach near-complete mobility soon, despite reinjuring the shoulder and new injuries on the right one. He turned and found Chuck perched on the edge of the bed. 

“How long have you been there?”

“Long enough for Mako to see me and decide you needed to handle this yourself.”

“Fuck you, Chuck. I am handling this myself. I just needed to look at my drift partner and get my brother out of my head.”

“Get that. But we said I’d go first. Your turn, love.”

“You don’t think she needs a break?”

“Probably. I just want to make sure you’re not gonna let her off the hook.”

“I won’t.”

“Good. Because you are family too, Ray. Have been since you and Yancy decided you’d be her friends. I won’t let her throw that away. Not now.”

Raleigh stood and crossed the room to stand over Chuck. He brushed a hand through his boyfriend’s hair. “What happened to the little shit who called me a bitch just to start a fight?”

Chuck laughed. “He got hit really hard in the head and managed to survive the apocalypse.”

“Glad he did.”

Raleigh leaned in for a kiss and Chuck used the opportunity to flip him down on the bed and crawled over the top of him. He let Raleigh cling to him for a minute, trading gentle kisses. 

“You’re talking to her tonight, Ray. No excuses.”

“I will.”

“Good.” Chuck’s stomach grumbled. They’d been up since six and it was now approaching 1300. “Blimey, I’m bloody starving. I need to eat til I’m full as a goog. Come on, let’s go.”

Chuck dragged Raleigh up and down the stairs. 

\-----2045 HRS-----

Charlotte lounged on the patio with a large cup of tea. It finally stopped raining, unusual for London in April, and she was taking advantage of the weather. The French doors leading to the kitchen opened behind her. She knew, without looking, that Raleigh was walking towards her. 

“Your turn to have a go at me now, eh?” She quipped, staring into her cup of tea as though her stare could turn it to whiskey. The sight of a very expensive, and very familiar bottle of Glenfidditch and two tumblers twisted her face into a half-smile, half-grimace. “So you plan on being cruel then.”

“No. But he was so happy after Manila that he refused to drink anything else. We,” he said, taking a seat across from her and pouring them two fingers each. “Are dealing with his ghost tonight. Whatever problems you and I have, it’s him that haunts the two of us. So, we will drink this and remember him while we deal with our shit.”

“Cheers to that.” Charlotte said and took the first sip. Instantly she was thrown back nearly six years to Manila. She cleared her throat, feeling choked up. 

“So,” Raleigh began. “You’ve got a lot of explaining to do.”

“Name isn’t Lucy, mate.” She quipped making a stab at humor.

“Don’t give a shit, Lotte.” Raleigh frowned at her. 

“The day Stella was born, I made a choice. I’d do any and everything I had to do to win this war. I fought monsters and men, and ignored the signs that I was floundering. Losing Yancy, then you, going toe-to-toe with Ian, it drained me. I stopped seeing my therapist. Then I stopped talking to Chuck. Spinejackal was supposed to be a fluke. Ian used it as an opening salvo to challenge custody of Stella. I had my own PTSD and the extra stress roiling around my head and when I climbed into Striker against Taurax, I blocked Chuck out. It was the first time I even considered shutting him out. It became a habit. I didn’t trust him to help me. All downhill from there. I spiraled. The drift tests I did with Herc and Chuck leading up to Pitfall,” Charlotte paused. “Bloody fucking disastrous. They both knew I was killing myself and they couldn’t save me. Pentecost grounded me.”

“And you gave me up.”

“Yeah, I did. I honestly thought you’d tell him to bugger off. Five years, you were gone. I started to hate you, for that. You were working on the bloody wall and you didn’t come back for me. You were the last connection I had to Yancy and you never came back.”

“You know why.”

“Course I fucking know why. I nearly ran myself. I wasn’t rational. I was losing my bloody mind, Rals.”

“And when I came back?”

“When you came back. Fuck, you saved the goddamned world, and my brother. You swanned in at the last bloody moment and won the war. Everything I did for five years, every bit of myself I lost to this war, and I wasn’t the one to finish it. I wasn’t even there. Felt like betrayal and a whole lot of other shit. Then you and Chuck started this _thing_ and I thought I was okay with it. You’re honestly the best bloke I could think of to be with him. But there was my brother falling for a Becket brother and all I could feel was the rage and pain of losing Yancy every time I looked at you two. So I picked fights with you. Tried to make you hate me as much as I hated you. You were broken, just like me, but you managed to do everything I couldn’t, Raleigh.”

“Christ, Lotte.”

“Yeah, well mental health is overrated.”

“You don’t really hate me though, right?” Raleigh asked, sheepishly. 

“Naw. It’s all my own bullshit turned outward. You weren’t here, so it was easy to hate you. Really it’s a lot of bloody self-loathing.”

“I’m intimately aware with self-loathing. Done a lot of it the past few years. I need you to talk to me from now on, Lotte.”

“I will.” They sat in silence for a long time, savoring the liquor. “We never got to have a proper goodbye for him.”

Charlotte looked at Raleigh, then down at her glass. “I think this bloody well counts.” She paused to savor a sip of the liquor. Drinking any kind of scotch or whiskey after Manila, after Knifehead, felt like a betrayal to Yancy’s memory. Here and now, though, it felt like honoring him. Like he was finally going to leave off haunting the edges of their minds. “He never wanted us to fight.”

“Yeah. So, you’re gonna go back to Hong Kong and test drift with Chuck til you work all your shit out?”

“That is our plan.”

“Think we should do the same?”

Charlotte gave him a hard look. “I think the days of us sharing headspace are long gone, mate.”

“Had to offer. Hansens are shit at talking about feelings.”

“That’s all I’ve bloody done today!”

Raleigh smiled softly. “And I’m so proud of you, Lotte! Look at you with your big girl feelings and talking. You must feel like a real adult now.”

Charlotte cursed at him. Just like that, a bit of teasing, and all was forgiven. She knew they’d tiptoe around each other for a while yet, but there was nothing like a bit of honest confession to win a Becket over. She felt like her spine had been ripped out today turning her into a pile of goo, but she’d made the first steps to fixing herself. She didn’t exist in a vacuum of conflict anymore. The Kaiju were beaten back, she’d completed Pentecost’s final mission to ensure the PPDC’s independence, and now she could heal. 

Raleigh teased her accent and all bets were off as they lit into each other, sniping back and forth. They devolved into the play-fighting that formed the basis of their relationship and Charlotte could feel the weight lifting off her shoulders. 

Chuck watched them from the house, feeling like he had a whole family for the first time since his childhood.


	28. It's Easier To Run

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Originally posted 26 August 2017. Fully edited and Beta'd by 25 December 2017. 
> 
> This chapter gave me some trouble when I finally finished it. I introduce a "new" character here and put her up against Stacker Pentecost of all fucking people. I had to get the tone right and the dialogue needed to be super snappy. I'm happy with the results. Also, Mako is everywhere. Love Mako, she's the best. 
> 
> P.S. As of this reposting, this story has received 1821 hits, 54 kudos, and 18 bookmarks. This makes me inordinately happy. You've no idea. Thank you all for the support! Happy Christmas!

\-----June 12, 2023-----

**0547 HRS, PPDC Jaeger Decommission site, Codename: Oblivion Bay, San Francisco, CA, USA**

Mako Mori looked out from the gangway to the dozen hulking shapes lurking in the shadowy, cavernous space of Oblivion Bay. The facility went up quickly in the last year, housing the broken bodies of Jaegers and whatever debris the Kaiju left after they decimated humanity’s defenders. Mako did not like this place. 

“Anything salvageable?” Tendo Choi asked, walking across the platform to stand on her right. 

“Commander Choi!” Mako said, surprised. “I thought you were still in Anchorage.”

“I thought we agreed that you weren’t going to call me ‘commander’ anymore, _Miss Mori._ ” Tendo chided. Mako blushed and ducked her head. Tendo’s look softened and he turned his head to stare at the broken Jaegers. “You think I should have picked one of these for the program. A Mark IV instead of her.” 

“It is not my place.” Mako began. 

“Don’t give me that, Mako. We are friends and we’ll be working in close quarters on this project. I fully expect you to yell at me at least once a week. So I want honesty.” 

Mako tilted her head and collected her thoughts. “Gipsy Danger was the most successful Mark III in service. Not only because of her pilots, but because of her design. Only Vulcan Spectre has a better record, but as it is still in service and shares the same base design, my point still stands. Restoring a Mark III is also more cost effective. If we keep her analog, then it will be even cheaper. All of the Mark IVs are digital. Your personal reasons for choosing her over one of the Mark IV Jaegers, aside, it is a solid decision.” Mako paused and let a small grin tilt her lips. “I think if you chose another, Vice-Marshal Hansen would cut off your caffeine supply for a month.”

Tendo laughed out loud, the sound reverberating through the concrete and steel coffin housing the broken robots. “She’d probably cut off a toe, actually. Maybe two or three.” 

Mako’s tablet beeped with a notification before he could continue and she quickly opened the news app. That tone was set for any media alert regarding her father. He and Vice-Marshal Hansen, the younger, were before the UN today fighting against budget cuts. A video popped up and Tendo leaned over to watch it with her. A smug looking reporter stood before the UN headquarters in New York. 

_“Thank you, Thom. This is Brigit Summers reporting live from United Nations headquarters this morning as a pre-dawn meeting of the Pacific Defense Committee ended in violence. The meeting took place at such an unusual hour, we’ve been told by inside sources, because several members insisted on an immediate report following last week’s devastating Kaiju attack on Seattle which crippled the city and left decorated, and previously unbeaten Rangers, Bruce and Trevin Gage, in a coma.”_

The footage switched to a brief clip of the disastrous fight in Seattle and then pictures of Bruce and Trevin. The footage switched back to the pretty reporter and her plastic smile. 

_“The meeting occurred, I’m informed, within an hour of Marshal Stacker Pentecost and Vice-Marshal Diana Hansen arriving here in New York City from PPDC headquarters in Hong Kong. Inside sources tell me that within twenty minutes of the meeting’s start, a shouting match began between a high ranking aide to UK Ambassador Cole and Vice-Marshal Hansen regarding the PPDC budget. Sources tell me that the Vice-Marshal became increasingly unreasonable and that, at some point, she leapt over a table and started a physical altercation with the, as-yet-unnamed, aide. My sources tell me the attack was unprovoked.”_

Tendo snorted and shook his head. He and Mako both knew exactly who had incited Charlotte to violence. 

_“The meeting ended immediately.”_ The reporter paused and checked behind her where there was motion at the doors. _“And now it appears that the Vice-Marshal is being escorted out of the building by UN security officials. Vice-Marshal Hansen! Vice-Marshal Hansen! Do you have any comment on what happened during the meeting this morning?”_

Tendo and Mako shared a look. This reporter was one of only three. Three reporters and none of them from news agencies that expressed supportive views of the Jaeger program. Charlotte narrowed her eyes at the three reporters shoving microphones in her face as Stacker Pentecost emerged, stoic as ever, from the building behind her. The Russian, Chinese, and Australian ambassadors flanked him, looking a bit ruffled in the dawn light. 

_“I do have a comment, Brigit.”_ Charlotte began after receiving an imperceptible nod from her superior officer. _“But first I have a question. I’d like to know who called you here this morning.”_

The reporter blanched a bit but stood firm in the face of cold, Australian fury. _“We were tipped off by an anonymous source, Marshal.”_

_“That’s what I thought. Well, I have a lot to say about what happened this morning. The first thing I’d like to say is this: Marshal Pentecost and I arrived today under the assumption that we were here to provide a full debrief of the Jaeger program’s budget and viability for the next six months. We were not here to ask for more money or anything of the sort. We feel that the Wall of Life program, while not a long-term solution, is an,”_ Charlotte paused and both Mako and Tendo could feel her biting down hard on her smart mouth for the next word. _“Acceptable use of the rationing on the Pacific Rim. The Kaiju will keep coming harder and faster. We were here to ensure that the Jaegers remain humanity’s top-of-the-line defenders against these monsters._ That _is the meeting we were told to attend. Instead, Brigit, we were brought to account for what one Ambassador referred to as our ‘dismal misuse of funds.’ I am going to tell you, and the whole world, now, that the PPDC runs a tight ship. Every red cent of money that the UN provides us is used to its maximum effectiveness against the Kaiju. Our people do not eat, sleep, or operate any better or worse than any other soldier on any other battlefield in the last hundred years. I will happily provide unrestricted access to the media to pore over our books themselves as proof. So, I took offence to the accusations made against my organization. I was confronted by senior consultant to Ambassador Cole,_ former _Ranger Ian Staughton.”_

Charlotte paused and waited for the reporters to get antsy. Her contentious relationship with her former colleague was legendary at this point. 

_“Mr. Staughton tried to imply that I am not fit to command, and my opinion as a soldier is not to be trusted because I was a teen mother and, as such, I have a history of misguided decisions. I reminded him of the circumstances of his own_ dishonorable _discharge from the PPDC and the situation devolved from there. Mr. Staughton proceeded to defame my character and then, on record I might add, called me a whore. And then he threatened my child, again on record.”_

_“Excuse me, Marshal Hansen, but what reason would a senior aide to Ambassador Cole have to threaten your child?”_ One of the other reporters interrupted. He had a history of asking the right questions, despite his network’s biases. Charlotte smiled and Mako groaned. Shit was about to hit the fan. 

_“Well, Andrew, he threatened to resubmit his motion to challenge sole custody of our daughter.”_

The reporters went nuts. Notifications started buzzing across the tablet’s screen as every high-ranking PPDC official started messaging Mako for confirmation of Charlotte’s statement. She’d known her for years and the identity of Stella’s father had been kept, not a secret, but restricted after Ian’s repeated attempts to use PPDC personnel against Charlotte during custody proceedings. Tendo’s phone began buzzing too, the first message from his wife telling him that she’d keep a handle on the PPDC rumor mill until Charlotte got back and could feed the gossip hounds herself. 

_“Mr. Staughton is the father of your daughter, Vice-Marshal?”_ Brigit, the reporter, asked, obviously not quite believing the juicy celebrity gossip she was getting. 

_“Yes, and I feel it is only fair to reveal the circumstances of my brief relationship with Mr. Staughton now, as I believe it will all be made public soon anyway. In the fall of 2019, I engaged in a brief fling with Mr. Staughton that ended when I discovered that he began the relationship with the goal of learning information about me or causing a scene that would result in my disqualification from the running as one of the pilots for Striker Eureka. I proceeded to continue as my father’s copilot for another two months until I began exhibiting symptoms of pregnancy. I reported my condition to the PPDC and expressed my confusion as to how I became pregnant as all female Rangers are required to be on birth control. Testing revealed that I had been dosed with a specifically tailored hormone blocker and fertility treatments designed to ensure I ended up pregnant. My_ only _sexual partner in the window when I could have become pregnant was Mr. Staughton. Under questioning, and with corroboration from witnesses, Mr. Staughton admitted to getting me pregnant in an attempt to further his own career as a Ranger. He endangered not only my life, but the lives of my copilot and fellow Rangers, as well as the millions of people in Manila who may have suffered if I lost consciousness or became ill in the conn-pod.”_ Charlotte paused for effect. _“I would like to formally apologize to the Pacific Defense Committee for my appalling behavior this morning, but I will_ not _apologize to Mr. Staughton. That is all I have to say on the matter, thank you.”_

Mako closed the video feed and opened up the schematics that would guide her in restoring Gipsy Danger. Tendo frowned a bit. 

“Not going to watch the harpies?”

“No.” Mako frowned as she zoomed on the left elbow of what would be Gipsy’s reassembled arm. “Charlotte does not need my help and we have a job to do. Gipsy Danger deserves a second shot at this fight. Everything that happened in New York is in New York. We are here. We need to stay focused.”

“Is that Mako talking, or the Marshal?” Tendo prodded. 

Mako paused and then continued her virtual shopping trip through the salvageable tech rusting away in front of them. “It is both. Sensei would not want me focused on Charlotte’s PR battles with the UN. It is her part of this war. Mine is to equip our Rangers with Jaegers.”

“Good girl.” Tendo grinned. Mako was a ball of rage and distrust most days. But when it counted, she was the only one of them who he _knew_ would keep the PPDC running strong. 

\-----Six and a half hours later-----

Mako and a crew were elbow deep in the hulking wreck of Hydra Corinthian, dismantling the chest casing to get at pneumatic cylinders, when a call went out over the radios. 

“Mako, Marshal Pentecost is requesting your presence in the control room.” Tendo’s voice echoed against the chest plating, startling Mako and the Tech from Crimson Typhoon she’d commandeered for her salvaging mission. She’d left the LOCCENT Chief in the control room, overseeing the parts being ferried across the bay. All of the Mark IV Jaegers were housed in a massive warehouse built over Alcatraz to prevent the more valuable tech from being stolen. The other Jaegers lurked in the shadow of the decimated Golden Gate Bridge as silent, rusting sentinels. Mako fumbled for her radio and called back. 

“Understood. Nearly finished here. Is this urgent?”

Tendo didn’t answer immediately, the faint crackle of the radio now the only noise nearby as Mako climbed out of the wreck and away from acetylene torches. “Take your time, Mako. He’ll be here.”

Mako’s eyes popped open wide. “Sensei is here?” 

Tendo’s was not the voice that answered her. “Yes I am, Miss Mori. Finish your task. I have work to occupy my time.”

She sighed at the sound of her father’s voice and then stowed her radio. She barked out a few orders to her team of borrowed J-Techs, all people she trusted to do their jobs without her nearby. Some of the techs she’d worked with over the years were not so trustworthy. Djalu Watson and Alison Choi liked to sic Mako and Chuck Hansen onto techs who didn’t take direction well. The two Rangers were unforgiving when it came to keeping the Jaegers in prime operating condition. Moments later, Mako was swinging down to the fully loaded cart with several new pieces to add to her growing pile. She secured the parts and then climbed in and drove off towards the ferry launch. 

By the time Mako had all of the parts categorized and logged she was covered head to toe in hydraulic fluid, grease, and sweat. She determinedly made her way up to the control room to find Tendo coordinating twelve different J-Tech teams across three different Shatterdomes and Oblivion Bay. Her father was sequestered in a corner, away from Tendo’s frenetic pacing. He’d commandeered a table and had his tablet propped up and a headset attached to his ear as he dictated orders to the Dome commanders. 

“Sensei.” Mako said quietly, attempting to refrain from disturbing either man. 

Stacker Pentecost’s head shot up and he quickly disconnected from his call. “Mako, productive day?”

Mako grinned and Pentecost lit up inside a little at the sight of her joy. She so rarely expressed any happiness that he couldn’t help but appreciate the smallest moments. “Yes. I have found everything I needed and if we begin any restoration on the Mark IVs, I have left them mostly intact. There are only a few parts that are too expensive to manufacture new and between the eight Mark IVs here, I have everything.”

“Good. When do you expect to have Gipsy Danger operational?”

She looked away from her father’s face and considered every timetable she’d built with Tendo for the last three months. The damage Gipsy sustained against Knifehead was extensive. That Raleigh Becket managed to walk the Jaeger all the way back to shore was a miracle in itself, the damaged leg had fallen off during transport back to the Icebox. Reattaching the limb and retrofitting the damaged arms would take six months alone. All of Mako and Tendo’s other plans to upgrade and retrofit the remaining parts of the Jaeger would take the majority of the time. 

“Eighteen months, at least.”

Pentecost nodded, assessing. “I am about to tell you something very important, Mako. You must not speak of this to anyone else.” He waited for her to nod her understanding. “You saw the news reports of our meeting this morning? The committee is now actively working to discredit our leadership. Our allies are outnumbered, and they are sure that the real defunding of the program will begin soon. I want this project to continue at all costs, Mako. Gipsy Danger needs to be operational as soon as humanly possible.”

“Understood, Sensei.” 

“If you need additional funding, or technicians, let Tendo handle it. He has access to a supplemental funding source that will help us with both things. The sooner you can get Gipsy to Hong Kong the better. Victoria Harbour will be our final stronghold before the end.”

“Does the UN truly expect us to hide behind a wall?” Mako asked incredulously. 

“I think they do. But I have other plans. We are losing Jaegers too quickly.” Stacker frowned. Mako gently touched his shoulder, careful of her greasy hands. 

“We will win this, Sensei. I know it. I will not rest until this is done.”

“Mako…” Stacker trailed off. “We’ve discussed this.”

She frowned and stared her father down. In ten years this look never failed to unsettle him. Mako so rarely looked like a petulant child, even as a teen, that the expression turned his own traitor heart against him. 

“You promised me, Sensei.”

“I know. But now is not the time, Mako. And you have not found an acceptable partner.”

“Chuck…” Mako began. 

“Chuck is not an option and you know it.” Stacker interrupted. The two youngest Rangers were unstable at best on a good day. To place them both in a Jaeger, despite the numbers indicating their compatibility, was a guarantee for chaos. “Charlotte is not acceptable either. I have grounded her. Herc and Chuck are travelling as a unit from now on. And, no, I will not tell you why.” 

“I will be a pilot, Sensei.”

“But not now, Mako.”

“When?”

“When you are ready. When you have an acceptable partner.”

“I do not like this.”

“I know. Allow me to protect you for as long as I can, Mako. Please.”

“Like you protected, Jacob?”

“Mako.”

“You sent him away, Sensei.”

“I sent him where he was needed.”

“You would send me too.” Mako accused him. 

“Of course I would, Mako.” Stacker said, sighing. “But I know that would be a mistake. Jacob is better off in London learning from Dr. Lightcap. You are helpful here.”

Mako started to speak, but was interrupted by a particularly loud exclamation of indignation from Tendo. Father and daughter stepped apart, the moment for any discussion or argument over. Mako tamped down viciously on the bundle of rage she kept simmering just under the surface. Pentecost watched her face closely and kept his own impassive. 

“How long until you return to Anchorage?” He finally asked. 

“Two days. We cannot stay any longer because of the radiation here. And I need to return my borrowed crew. Dr. Gottlieb predicts another attack and the other Dr. Gottlieb would like to update the operating systems on as many Jaegers as possible before then.”

“Have you visited the Gages yet?”

“I stopped in Seattle on the way here. I plan to do the same on the way back.”

“How did they look?” Stacker asked, a little afraid based on the reports he’d seen from the doctors. Images of Tamsin dying horribly in a hospital bed in Hawaii flashed in his head before the echo of his drift partner started cursing at him for remembering her that way. 

“Peaceful. There was minimal radiation exposure. Even with the bandages, they appear to sleep. They were lucky.”

“Good. I plan to see them tonight before I leave for Hong Kong. I’ve interrupted your work. Happy hunting, Mako.”

Mako frowned a bit, but nodded. She knew a dismissal when she heard it. Never mind that she never got a straight answer from her father. He, and Jacob, were the only people she really trusted implicitly. The few friends she had were other pilots or active personnel and that alone kept them separate from her. She relied on Sensei, just as he relied on her. She voiced a quick farewell and trudged back to the ferry to return to her scavenging. 

She wasn’t a pilot, not yet. But she would be. The moment she returned to Anchorage she’d begin reviewing personnel records for drift compatibility again. She knew in her bones that someone would match her, could match her. She just had to find them. 

\-----2115 HRS----

**ICU Room 7, Madigan Army Medical Center, Tacoma, WA, USA—Occupants: Rangers Bruce and Trevin Gage**

Marshal Stacker Pentecost followed a nurse through the ICU and into the double room that housed two of his best Rangers. Two of his friends. He did not expect the sight that greeted him. 

Jazmine Becket sat between the beds. The nineteen-year-old was slim and the sleeveless shirt she wore revealed the same kind of corded muscle as Mako possessed. From her posture alone he knew this was not a young woman to be crossed. The nurse ignored the youngest Becket’s presence and continued her bustling around, recording information on the Rangers’ comatose states. Stacker made his way to stand next to Trevin’s bed and looked him over. Jazmine knew he was there and he would wait her out. She had a lot to account for from the last five years. 

“Remember that you need to leave by 2200, Ms. Becket. That’s when the doctors make their rounds and Nurse Ratchet won’t take kindly to you still being here, kid.” The nurse addressed Jazmine, all kindness and understanding. Neither woman acknowledged his presence. 

“I think the Marshal will have me out of here long before the harpy realizes I’m here, Luna.”

“You’re right. I bet he knows how to contact your brother, too. Maybe you should do that.”

“You said all you came to the West Coast for was to see the ocean and live with your father, Lu. You don’t have to fix my family too.”

Stacker quirked an eyebrow. To know that information meant Jazmine had visited before. He was not happy to learn this. Access to the Rangers was supposed to be heavily restricted. 

“I’m still right. Goodnight, Jazmine. Marshal.” The willowy blonde left the room. 

Marshal Stacker Pentecost and Jazmine Becket sat in silence, with only the steady sound of heart monitors and oxygen sensors. Stacker spent the time studying his Rangers’ charts. The doctors did not expect the two to wake up any time soon. He decided to call the elusive Dr. Lightcap in the morning and have her consult. The drift did a lot of things to pilots’ brains. The Gages had been in each other’s heads for so long now, there was no telling what could happen. 

“They basically adopted me after Raleigh and Yance left for the Academy. Moved me to LA and set me up in the Dome with my own room. I was fourteen years old. My mom died and my dad ran. Then my brothers, who spent every moment keeping us together, keeping us out of the system, they run off to fight monsters. And I’m packed away with strangers to live in a concrete box and watch the two people who were supposed to be protecting me climb into a giant robot every other month to fight those same fucking monsters.”

Stacker looked at her. She’d stretched her arms out and grasped onto Bruce and Trevin’s hands. He gently cleared his throat. “So you ran.”

“I ran.” 

“And when these two went looking for you?”

“I ran farther. Until they caught up with me in Indianapolis.”

“When?”

“Two weeks after Knifehead.” 

“You let them catch up, Ms. Becket.” 

“I needed to know.”

“And when you found out exactly what happened?”

“I kept running. I knew they’d get themselves killed. They were too reckless, always were.”

“Raleigh isn’t dead.”

“Isn’t he? He ran away from the corps. He ran from the only thing that ever gave him focus, outside our family of course.”

“You don’t think he needed you after what happened?” Stacker asked, genuinely intrigued now. 

“That’s the thing, Marshal Pentecost, Raleigh was the one _I_ needed. Bruce and Trevin had me tested you know, I’m drift compatible. But Yancy never wanted me anywhere near a Jaeger. His bullshit older brother routine is what finally broke me. What made me run. Yancy could let Raleigh, reckless, brilliant, vicious _Raleigh_ into his head, but not me. He didn’t trust me.”

“So, why are you here now?”

“I owed it to them. They let me go. They became my family and they let me go because they knew I couldn’t handle the mission.”

“How did you get in here?”

“I’m still listed as their dependent on all their paperwork. No one really tried to turn me away, except for Nurse Jackson. Luna calls her Nurse Ratchet.”

“How long will you stay?”

“Until ten o’clock. Then I’m on the next transport out of Washington. Are you going to stop me?”

Stacker considered the young woman. She looked more like Yancy than Raleigh, tall and lean. Wherever she’d been staying, she was being moderately well-fed as she didn’t look unhealthy. Her blonde hair was cropped short and she wore fairly new clothing, only threadbare in a few places. 

“No, I won’t. Nor will I tell Charlotte Hansen that I saw you. She’s still in contact with your brother and she’d let him know in a heartbeat that you’re still alive.”

“Thank you, Marshal.”

“Don’t thank me. Go live your life and be safe. Your brothers were two of my best. We both owe them your life.”

Jazmine stood up from her chair and gave the twin Rangers long looks. Satisfied that they were still sleeping and unlikely to wake just because she was around, she gathered up her jacket and turned to face Marshal Pentecost. She passed him a piece of paper. 

“That’s how you can find me for the next six months. If they wake up, I want to know. No bureaucratic, save the world bullshit, Marshal. You find me.” Stacker tucked the paper into his uniform jacket. “And you’d better not tell a soul about this, Marshal. I’m not dealing with any angry Australians.”

Pentecost’s lips twitched in the barest hint of a smile. 

“So long, Marshal.”

“Goodbye, Ms. Becket.”

And with that, Jazmine Becket waltzed out of the hospital room. Stacker Pentecost wasn’t one to believe in fate or omens, but seeing her here, alive, made him wonder. He knew Tendo Choi’s reasoning for choosing Gipsy Danger to restore. He knew his daughter approved. Hell, he approved of the Jaeger, it was an extraordinary machine. But it didn’t seem right to fix the Jaeger when one of its original pilots was still out there, with a damned big score to settle.

Mako seemed determined to restore Gipsy with the express desire to pilot her. Seeing a Becket for the first time in three years, well, that made him think that Raleigh would end up back in his old Jaeger with her. Jazmine’s assessment of her brother was dead-on, but a lot had changed for Raleigh, his whole world was literally torn right apart. 

Perhaps the strategist, the young man who’d always aced every test the PPDC could throw at him had been tempered by his pain. His daughter often discussed her father’s profession with him and he appreciated the need for even the strongest of steel to take a beating before it could become a finely honed weapon. Pentecost could use a man like that in the final days to come. He resolved to start pressing Charlotte for Raleigh’s location. He might need him.


	29. Time To Sink Way Into The Blue, Dear

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Originally posted 3 September 2017. Fully edited and Beta'd by 25 December 2017. (Not changing a thing about this AN)
> 
> This chapter is here because I'm going to break your hearts later. I broke my own heart with the next few chapters. I don't know why I'm so goddamned mean to these characters. But for now, drift partner bonding time. And puppies. No seriously, you forgot about the puppy didn't you...
> 
> There's some cameos here from other fandoms I couldn't resist. I legit had side characters (I have a master list of characters who have speaking roles) all written out with little blurbs of backstory and everything and realized I'd written them exactly like these two. So I just decided to rename them and change a sentence or two. Why the hell not, right!? It's fanfiction. I SHALL have fun with it. 
> 
> There's a Japanese phrase used here. Translation at the end. 
> 
> Also, the chapter's title is taken from Blue Mind by Alexi Murdoch. Just go listen to it while reading this. It will make you feel things. That and the song Orange Sky. They're just too damned perfect for this fandom. 
> 
> Anyways, read on my loverlies!

\-----May 2, 2025-----

**2015 HRS, Jumphawk Platform Four, Hong Kong Shatterdome, Victoria Harbour, Hong Kong, China**

Raleigh waited patiently for the door to slide open and the welcome sight of the Hong Kong Dome to greet him once more. Jacob Pentecost sat stoically on his right and Raleigh couldn’t help the brief stab of sympathy as he felt for the man. This was where his father made his last stand, where he chose to go out fighting rather than eaten away by cancer like his copilot. 

The jumphawk touched down gently and Raleigh bounded to his feet. The faint traces of his brother laughed in his head and called him an overeager puppy. For once, that echo didn’t make Raleigh frown, instead he caught sight of blue and red streaked hair underneath a massive umbrella, accompanied by two dogs and smiled widely. 

Jake watched the older man and frowned slightly. He could understand being happy to return to what Raleigh called home more than once in the past week, but this was outright joy. Then, he too caught sight of his sister and had to shrug off the punch of jealousy that rolled through him. He suddenly realized that it wasn’t the Hong Kong Dome that Raleigh called home, but Mako. He’d forgotten they were drift partners, that neither of them should have been so successful in Gipsy Danger, even though they very nearly weren’t. Jake’s frown deepened for a moment. He’d never had to compete for his big sister’s attention, not like this. The prospect of sharing her with Raleigh wasn’t unwelcome, exactly, but very new. 

Raleigh rolled open the door and practically skipped out across the tarmac to lift Mako into a hug and spin her around. She smiled, actually smiled, and then laughed as Raleigh set her down. Jake couldn’t help but grin at that. Anything and anyone that made his sister that happy was a welcome addition to their family. He jogged towards the drift partners and drew his sister in close. Raleigh relieved her of the umbrella and sheltered them all as Jake squeezed Mako tightly. When they broke apart, both of them had a suspicious shine to their eyes and were blinking furiously. Lucy yipped happily at their feet, only stopping once Raleigh bent down to give her cuddles. 

Another chopper set down next to theirs, rainwater splattering them a bit in the chop wash. Charlotte and Chuck exited, looking a bit tense but determined. The long flight from London to Hong Kong gave the siblings a lot of time to talk to one another, and nothing all that good came from it. Charlotte walked over and gave Mako a quick squeeze before liberating an umbrella from a passing technician and heading straight for the lift. Max whined at her as she barely stopped to give him a quick rub. Chuck sighed deeply, bending to give Max a vigorous belly rub, and shook his head at Raleigh’s questioning look. 

“Don’t ask, mate. Can we move this inside?”

Mako huffed and set a brisk pace towards the lift. Charlotte had already disappeared and the remaining group shuffled into the returning lift with some mild shaking to dislodge some of the rainwater on their clothing. The newly minted Deputy-Marshal Mori pressed a button and the lift lurched to life. When it stopped a few moments later, Mako gave Chuck a pointed look and the Australian grinned tightly before pulling Jake along towards the Quartermaster’s office to get him settled. Max followed loyally behind his master with only a quick bump to Lucy on the way out. 

“Mako, what?” Raleigh began before snapping his mouth closed at the look on her face. He was along for the ride on this one. 

The lift dropped them in the basement and suddenly Raleigh realized where they were headed. He’d spent enough time cooped up in the dome after Pitfall to know every inch of it. This particular floor was set up to be Dr. Lightcap’s new lab. Mako led him along the corridor and stopped in front of the large doors to let a flurry of lab techs roll equipment through. Lucy stayed obediently on Raleigh’s heels. 

“Miss Mori!” The stern voice of Dr. Caitlin Lightcap echoed into the hall. “You’d better have your partner with you or you can turn right around.”

Mako snapped to attention and Raleigh, pulled along by the intensity of the ghost drift, followed suit and both Rangers tentatively entered the lab. Dr. Lightcap, the slightly timid researcher who became a Ranger, stood in the center of her lab space directing traffic. Her husband and drift partner, Sergio D’onofrio stood off to the side, fielding paperwork from techs and gently touching his wife to bring down her ire. Anyone could see that the ten years they’d been drifting had created a complete awareness of each other. Raleigh was reminded of the Kaidonovskys. 

“Mako, good. You brought him. Go sit over there. Richie! Seth! Hook these two up will you? I need baseline drift readings done. Tony! I don’t care how many doctorates you have, if you or that robot drop any piece of my tech, I will end you.”

Raleigh smirked at the indignant look on the man’s face as he snapped back at Dr. Lightcap with a quick, “I’m older and smarter than you, Caitlin. You don’t scare me! Dum-E, I _will_ scrap you.” Mako tugged lightly on his sleeve and he followed his drift partner to a corner of the lab. There the two techs, wearing full suits rather than lab coats, began playing with equipment. The taller of the two men shoved Raleigh, none too gently, into a chair and started hooking up a Pons unit to his head. Raleigh frowned a bit until Lucy settled underneath him and promptly curled up for a nap. Mako was getting the same treatment from the other man and Raleigh suddenly realized that he recognized them. 

“Hey, I know you two.” 

The men glanced at each other and shrugged. The one hooking Mako up fiddled with one of the connections. “We were stationed at the Icebox. Richie, check that left temporal connection, the sensor isn’t connecting properly.”

“That’s not where I know you from.” Raleigh insisted. “You two work for Hannibal Chau. I saw you a couple months ago.”

The taller one, Richie, glanced over but didn’t reveal anything else as he continued to run wires to the harness on Raleigh’s head. “Left temporal is fine, Seth.”

“It isn’t fine, Richie. There’s a fluctuation in the readings. Something’s loose somewhere.” Seth said from his perch on a stool in front of Mako. Raleigh stared both men down. “Yeah, my brother and I work for him sometimes. He’s a friend of our Uncle Eddie. PPDC comes first, though.”

Mako reached over and squeezed Raleigh’s arm tightly before he could comment further. He shut his mouth and shrugged her off to reach over and hold her hand instead. They did a few drift tests in the first month after Pitfall, nothing too deep or strenuous, so the doctors could determine the extent of Raleigh’s brain damage after piloting solo for the second time. The clean bill of health he got paled in comparison to the bone deep satisfaction of having Mako in his head. 

Sharing headspace with her was nothing like drifting with Yancy. His brother had been an overwhelming, ferocious, and protective force that directed his natural inclination to impulsive strategizing and violence like a cruise missile on their targets. They were a perfect balance, even with their shared brash attitudes and quick tempers. Mako was his mirror. The balance they achieved was through skill and rage. Everywhere that Raleigh still felt the doubt of Yancy’s raw absence, Mako countered with unyielding skill and ability. Where she boiled with tightly controlled rage, he tempered her with five years of even more tightly controlled grief. Their first, disastrous test had been a fluke borne of distrust and insufficient acceptance of their emotions. The subsequent, adrenalin and panic fueled drift that netted them two kills in Victoria Harbour smoothed most of the rough edges. The long haul down to the Breach and the fight there fused them into a better team than he and Yancy could ever have been as brothers. Learning to lose himself and trust a stranger, trust Mako, forced Raleigh to be better. 

Richie and Seth finished their prep and took up positions at the computers. Raleigh let go of Mako’s hand and wrapped his fingers around the edge of his chair instead. She did the same, both of them preparing for the onslaught of the drift. For all that they were comfortable in the drift, the initial surge of memories never went smoothly. They had too many years of too much trauma entwined with their too few happy memories for the kind of effortless connection pilots like the Kaidonovskys enjoyed. 

“You two ready?” Richie asked, poised in front of a computer. Seth was on his right double checking connections. 

Mako glanced at Raleigh and then back at Richie. “We are ready.”

Richie pressed a key and the drift washed over them. 

_“Mako! Mako! Hashitte! Hashitte, Mako!” Father’s voice screamed down the street at her. She ran, stumbling in the rubble. She lost a shoe. Where was mother? Where was father? A shadow loomed over her and she turned to see the monster…_  
 _… “Raleigh, listen to your brother. He’ll take care of you. You,” Mom coughed, hard. He scrambled for the napkin on her lunch tray. When she held it up, there was blood flecked on the white. “You need to take care of your sister.”_  
 _“I promise, Mom.” His father came into the hospital room and sent him to the hall. Yancy pulled him in for a hug…_  
 _ **…Mako…**_  
 _ **…Raleigh…**_  
 _… “Yance! There! The cranes.” Gipsy’s head turned to look at the docks. Yamarashi came barreling after them, but they were already moving. Running hard for the cranes and then turning to face the Kaiju. “This had better work, Raleigh!” …_  
 _…Mako breathed hard. She stood over another recruit, bo staff in his face. She’d beaten them all. Charlotte called a halt from the side of the mats. Then the room went unnaturally quiet. She looked up to see Sensei in the doorway. He was displeased with her, the slight twitch to his right eye revealing his disappointment…_  
 _…Jazz cried as Raleigh and Yancy walked away from her. Bruce and Trevin were standing just behind her, holding her bags. Raleigh turned back and saw the tears streaming down her face and nearly stopped. He was breaking his promise to his mom. Bruce caught his eye as Trevin took Jazmine by the hand. The older pilot nodded once and then gave him a quick grin. Raleigh turned back around. Yancy was watching him, waiting. His brother spared one last glance to the retreating figures of their sister and the Gage twins and frowned. Then he stood up straight and looked Raleigh in the eye…_  
 _…Leatherback reared up roaring in pain from the streaks of light that launched off of Striker’s head. “Flare guns.” Mako said with a wicked smile. “Australians.” Raleigh muttered, sharing the smile. He sounded the battle horn, drawing the Kaiju’s attention as the Jumphawks dropped them into the harbor. Gipsy’s head turned just slightly to see Chuck cheering them on. Leatherback came at them and Gipsy moved…_  
 _… “Chuck.” Raleigh groaned. He was completely flushed and writhing on the bed as the other pilot tortured him…_  
Raleigh wrenched back from the memory.  
 _ **…Sorry, Mako…**_  
 _…Newt smiled as he launched into a lecture on the genetic makeup of the Kaiju. Mako barely kept her own grin contained. It was hard not to; his excitement was infectious. She could almost forgive him for loving the monsters that killed her family…_  
 _ **…Newt. Really?...**_  
 _ **…No…**_  
 _…Mako tried not to cry as she brushed Tamsin’s hair. Sensei’s copilot was in her last days. She’d stopped chemo months ago and the short growth of her bright red hair had grown back enough to warrant some attention. It was the only bright thing about her anymore. Her skin was sallow and pulled tight over her weakened frame. The former fighter pilot turned Ranger still had a mouth though. “Don’t you dare cry over me, Mako Mori. Never. I made this choice. You can cry when you have the time, when you know you’re safe. Until then, hold on to your grief. Don’t let it overwhelm you. Let it fuel you. I will miss you, my darling girl.” Sensei entered the room. Tamsin turned her sharp tongue on him and Mako kept softly brushing her hair, learning to put her grief aside…_  
 _… “Yancy, where’s dad?” Yancy froze in his place at the counter. He was holding a piece of paper. Raleigh inched closer to his brother. “Yance?” Raleigh saw his brother’s face fall as he tried to think of what to say…_  
 _… “You can always find me in the drift.” Sensei said over the comms. Mako physically held back a sob as Raleigh flinched from the weight of her emotions. He ran through every possible strategy in his head and hers and then looked back at his partner. There was no way to save them._  
 _“What can we do, sir?” Chuck’s voice tired, but determined echoed through the comms…_  
 _… “Raleigh, listen to me!” ..._  
 _… “We can clear a path, for the lady.” Sensei panted. Mako felt the tears streaming down her face. She was going to lose another father. And her friend. Raleigh reeled from the onslaught of her affection for Chuck. The soul-wrenching heartache she felt losing Pentecost. He nearly missed Mako’s goodbye under the strain of keeping Gipsy upright. He had to give her this moment to say goodbye…_

“Drift calibrated.” Richie’s voice said as the memories faded as they both returned to reality. The blue receded and Mako could feel Raleigh’s steady weight behind her eyes. Lucy snuffled on the floor and moved to sit between both of her people.

“Okay guys, just some simple stuff today.” Seth said from his right, still fiddling with the machines. “Richie ask them some questions.”

“Why me?”

“Cause I said so.”

“Just because you’re older doesn’t mean you get to boss me around, Seth.”

“Sure it does. Now ask them some goddamned questions.”

“Fine. What’s your favorite color?”

“Blue.” Raleigh and Mako answered in sync. 

“What was your mother’s name?”

“Sumako.” Raleigh said at the same time as Mako said, “Dominique.”

“What is your brother’s name?”

“Yancy.” They answered together, with a slight flinch. Seth hunched over the machine as Richie recorded a spike in brainwaves. Then the pilots both smiled gently, “Jacob.”

“Who’s more attractive, me or Seth?” Richie asked next, earning himself a glare from his brother. 

The pilots were silent for a moment and Richie looked up to see them studying him and Seth. Then they glanced at each other. “Seth.” Mako said at the same time Raleigh answered, “Richie.”

“Ha!” Seth barked out in laughter. Before Richie could bitch at his brother, Dr. Lightcap walked over, Serge on her heels. 

“How are things going over here?”

“Nothing unusual, Doc.” Richie answered. “No major fluctuations. They’re holding at ninety-five percent stability.”

“Excellent.” She looked over the readings and then the Pons unit as Seth toggled a switch. “Seems like this new unit is good to go.”

Raleigh felt the pull to look to his right and turned his head, Mako doing the same. Chuck was walking through the door with Max. Mako smiled a split second before Raleigh did the same. Dr. Lightcap followed their line of sight and sighed. 

“Turn around Ranger Hansen and leave my lab.”

“But…” Chuck began only to be silenced by a glare from Serge as his wife drew herself up to full height. 

“No buts. You can have him back in an hour. Until then, you are a distraction. Go bug your father.”

Chuck sulked, and stalked out of the lab. Max gave a saddened yip and followed him.

“Now, where were we?” Dr. Lightcap said as she handed Richie and Seth a stack of papers and shooed them away. 

An hour later, Dr. Lightcap gently removed the Pons units from Raleigh as Serge did the same for Mako. Brawler Yukon’s former pilots moved in perfect sync. Never touching, but always in each other’s space. Raleigh cracked his neck, still feeling Mako behind his eyes. He blindly reached for her and found her doing the same. 

“We free to go, Doc?” Raleigh finally asked, voice a bit rough from answering all her questions. 

“Don’t call me Doc. We’re going to be spending a lot of time with each other Ranger Becket, you can call me Caitlin.”

Raleigh smirked. “Raleigh.”

The two eyed each other as their drift partners rolled their eyes. Caitlin resisted the urge to bare her teeth at Raleigh. She’d only ever met him in passing five years ago. Brawler Yukon had roved around the Pacific as she went to each Shatterdome, optimizing Pons units and helping with the launch of every new Jaeger. She could still vividly remember Gipsy’s first test run and the absolute joy on the Beckets’ faces when they exited the conn-pod. Serge placed a gentle hand on her shoulder. He’d taken the Beckets out for drinks with the Gages after their successful run. The frustration she felt with Raleigh was his, leftover from dealing with a cocky young pilot. Raleigh was still cocky, but he wasn’t the same. 

“Yes, you may go.” Caitlin finally said, realizing both pilots were staring at her. 

Mako shoved Raleigh along, completely unfazed by his larger frame resisting the movement. Raleigh finally stopped fighting Mako and they settled into perfect lockstep in the halls. Without questioning each other, they made their way up to the mess hall. Lucy led the way, she always knew when it was time for food. Dinner for the graveyard shift was just served and they fluidly moved through the line, gathering each other’s favorites without asking. They seamlessly moved towards a table in the far corner of the mess. Lucy curled up under the table with a plate of Mako approved food. Within minutes, a few members of Gipsy’s old J-Tech crew, now re-tasked to Daimyo Aurora, took up the spaces around them. They didn’t draw either pilot into conversation, just became a human wall between the Rangers and the rest of the Dome. 

Eventually, the two finished eating and left the mess. They wandered, not speaking to each other, for close to an hour. Lucy followed along, playfully darting in between their legs. Finally, they reached the upper deck of the Shatterdome and Mako led the way along gangplanks to the bay where Daimyo was under construction. The Jaeger was merely a skeleton, waiting for its heart, but the two Rangers both marveled at the power on display. 

“I miss him.” Mako whispered, softly petting Lucy. Raleigh didn’t answer but drew her up next to him and allowed her to tuck her head under his shoulder. “Do you think it was right to invite Jacob to be a Ranger? Sensei never wanted this life for him.”

Raleigh considered his answer carefully, sifting through her memories of Pentecost, and his own. “I think it is. He never wanted Jake to die in a Jaeger. The way things were going, he knew he might lose both of you in a conn-pod. He kept you out of one until he absolutely couldn’t. We finally have time to breathe, and think, then we’ll take the fight to them. We need our best for that. Jake is his father’s son. He will be the best.”

Mako hummed her agreement and inched closer to Raleigh. “I wish Sensei did more for him before he died. Jake was always second to the mission. To me.”

“So, you want to tell me something, Mako?” Raleigh asked, a mischievous lilt to his tone. 

She blushed and grit her teeth. “No.”

“I know what I saw. Have to say that I’m surprised.”

“It is nothing.” Mako insisted. 

“Sure it is.” 

“I hate you.”

“No you don’t.”

The sound of heavy boots on metal made both of them turn to see Chuck walking along the gangplanks towards them. The Australian looked slightly less than happy, but not in a full on angry sulk. Raleigh groaned to himself. He’d forgotten that Chuck was more or less waiting on he and Mako to finish their drift test. 

“You two couldn’t have found an easier place to hide in?” Chuck asked, slightly out of breath. He still wasn’t back to his pre-Pitfall fitness. Close, but not quite there. 

“What would be the point in hiding then, Chuck-kun?” Mako asked, more than a hint of Raleigh’s snark in her tone. 

“Oh, please tell me that will wear off soon. It’s bloody creepy to hear her talk like you, love.” Chuck said, bending down to sit on Raleigh’s open side. Lucy got up and went to nuzzle him. Mako sat back up and glared at Chuck. 

“Shouldn’t you be with your father?”

“Nope. He kicked me out of his office and kept Max. Charlotte has Stella and Jake is catching up with Dr. Lightcap.”

“So you found us.”

Chuck grinned and then looked out to study Daimyo’s skeleton. “She’s gonna be a beaut. You did good work, Mako.”

“Of course I did.” She said smugly. Raleigh grinned to himself. He really did bring out the worst in her. “Tendo thinks with Lightcap here we might figure out a single pilot system.”

Chuck let out a low whistle. “That’d be something.”

Raleigh suddenly let out a yawn, jet lag and the stress of the drift testing catching up with him. Mako blinked hard and stretched to loosen up her stiff muscles. Chuck eyed them both. He’d never really interacted with them in the aftermath of a drift. The minimal testing they’d done while all three of them were still in medical after Pitfall hadn’t really prepared him for the synchronicity in his friend and lover. It truly was a bit frightening to see Mako behave and sound like Raleigh. And, now that he thought about it, Raleigh was not his normal self either. He was holding back more than usual and had this carefully blank look on his face. Chuck absently wondered what Yancy and Raleigh were like after a drift. He quickly tamped that thought down as exhaustion crawled over him as well. Jet lag really was a bitch. 

_“Watashi wa tsukaremashita.”_ Raleigh said as he pulled himself up and then hauled Mako and Chuck to their feet. Mako followed him immediately. Chuck took a moment to study them as they walked away, he doubted Raleigh even realized he hadn’t spoken English. They were still walking in sync. There was a rigidity to Raleigh’s shoulders that Mako normally carried and she was now walking with a swagger. Chuck really needed footage of he and his father after a drift. Seeing the aftereffects in a pilot pair as new as Raleigh and Mako was downright frightening. 

He trailed after them all the way to their suite, keeping pace with a very sleepy Lucy. Raleigh headed straight for his room and through to the bathroom. His shower started up immediately. Mako watched Chuck from her perch on the sofa, Lucy in her lap, for a long time. 

“Is everything alright, Chuck?” She finally asked. 

“No.” He answered honestly. 

“Do I need to ask or…” Mako began. Raleigh chose to interrupt her by wandering out shirtless wearing flannel sleep pants. 

“Spill, Chuck.” Raleigh said immediately at the looks on their faces. He flopped down next to Mako and the two of them unconsciously curled around each other. 

“Fine. You two are a bloody menace after a drift.” Chuck groused. Mako and Raleigh smiled serenely, simultaneously, making Chuck frown. “Last time I drifted with Charlotte was two months before Pitfall. She rabbited and threw us both out of sync. Lightcap is doing our testing tomorrow. I’ve already told her not to let us out until we hit our numbers from five years ago.”

“But you’re still nervous.” Raleigh said, gently.

“You are also hiding, Chuck.” Mako added. 

The Australian huffed and leaned back in his chair. “I don’t know how to go into this. You saw how she ran away today. And I can’t involve Herc ‘cause this is between the two of us, at least for now.”

Lucy shifted to put her head in Raleigh’s lap. He automatically reached out to pet her and studied his boyfriend. This was one of those few moments where he looked twenty-one. Mako leaned up against him and began dozing off. “You have to go in open, because she won’t. Let it all hit her, force her out.”

“She’s gonna fight me.”

“Of course she is. Let her. This has gone on long enough. She won’t finish healing until you force her to let her help you.”

“Doesn’t mean I’ve got to like it.”

“No it doesn’t.” 

Chuck sighed and tipped his head back. He really hated his sister and her bullshit sometimes. A knock sounded on the door to the suite and, since Raleigh was covered up by a sleeping Mako and Lucy, Chuck reluctantly stood up. He opened it to find his father and Max on the other side. Herc stepped in around his son and eyed the puppy-Ranger pile on the couch. 

“Oh good, she’s asleep. Got an early start this morning. How’d the testing go, Raleigh?”

“No problems. Baselines are better than when we hit the harbor.”

“Bonzer. Make sure she doesn’t start too early, eh? Tell her I’m giving her the morning off.”

“Yessir.” Raleigh slurred. He’d barely managed to stay awake this long. 

“Lucy need a trip out before bed?” The dog perked up at the sound of her name and gracelessly hopped off the couch to grovel at Herc’s feet. 

“If you don’t mind.”

“Not at all. Chuck, come with me. Stella’s asking for ya.”

Chuck brightened a bit knowing his niece was still awake. Late night stories were a secret pastime of theirs. He stepped over and kissed Raleigh on the forehead and then, dogs in tow, followed his father out. Raleigh considered snuggling down into the couch and sleeping there, but he knew that he’d regret the position in the morning. He gingerly extricated himself from Mako and then bent to pick her up. She snuggled in close to his chest and woke up a little as he carried her to her room. 

She held tight to his shirt forcing him to climb in next to her on her bed. Once he got comfortable she shuffled until she was lying halfway on top of him, her head tucked under his chin. They’d slept like this on more than one night while in medical, in the early days when they were happy to be alive and Chuck was still unconscious and then when the nightmares got bad for both of them. Raleigh smiled softly to himself and kissed the top of her head. He couldn’t imagine life without her now. Both dropped off almost immediately, dragged under by the drift hangover. 

Chuck returned a while later and, seeing them sleeping soundly, beckoned both dogs into his room. He could sleep without Raleigh for one night.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Translation: 
> 
> 1--I'm exhausted/ I'm very tired


	30. If I Could Make Amends With All My Shadows

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Originally posted 16 September 2017. Fully edited and beta'd by 2 January 2018. 
> 
> More Mako! More Tendo! Mild plot moving!
> 
> These few chapters in the "past" and "future" timelines were rough to write. The tone had to be right so I could fucking destroy everything as I catch up with canon. My beta also refused to let me deviate from my plans while writing these chapters. I have been allowed a short series of one-shots which will be posted later. I tried to focus on the "Big Hero Six" as my beta calls them, don't ask me why. It's possible he's a bigger dweeb than I am. All other characters are relegated to the sidelines for the rest of this story until I get the one-shots finished and posted. 
> 
> I hope everyone's New Years' celebrations were fun and safe. I definitely got sidetracked by family in the middle of posting these updates. But, on the bright side, I got Chapter 35 written. So, yay. 
> 
> Happy reading my darlings.

\-----February 14, 2024-----

**1145 HRS, Room 21, GICU Long-Term Care Ward, Madigan Army Medical Center, Tacoma, WA, USA—Occupants: Rangers Bruce and Trevin Gage**

Mako walked towards the GICU from the elevators with a slight pop in her perfect lockstep. Sensei contacted her early in the morning with news that the Gage twins woke from their comas the night before. Tendo joined her on the helipad to fly down from Anchorage an hour later. He was currently trying to keep up with the determined Ranger as Mako moved with purpose. She slowed down long enough to knock gently on the door. 

“Come in.” A woman answered. Tendo paused, he knew that voice. The memory of long hours spent coordinating phone calls for the Beckets and a few trips to LA surged forward in his head. Mako opened the door and he gently pushed her aside to rush in and lift Jazmine Becket into the air. 

Bruce and Trevin smiled from their beds at Tendo’s happy exclamation of, “Becket Girl!”

Still standing in the door, Mako looked on with trepidation. She didn’t think Jazmine Becket would be the visitor Sensei told her to expect. Tendo finally stopped hugging the struggling young woman and she turned to look at Mako. “Well, you coming in?”

Mako blinked hard and stepped into the room, carefully closing the door behind her. Bruce beckoned Mako closer and leaned up slowly to hug the young woman. He knew she hated hospitals, too much time spent in one during Tamsin’s final months had permanently turned Mako against them. He released her and looked to his brother. Trevin was smiling, a barely-there twist of his lips as he was still not quite lucid, but a smile nonetheless. 

“It is good to see you awake.” Mako finally said. Social interaction not centered around Jaegers was not her forte. 

Jazmine Becket cut off any response the twins might have had. “Tell the Marshal thank you, for me will you? He kept his promise.”

Mako jolted. Sensei had yet to keep his own promise to her, letting her become a pilot, but he’d kept one for this woman? She schooled her face into a carefully blank mask and looked at Jazmine. “I will tell him. He wanted to be here himself.” She added to the Gages, who nodded. 

“Who are you then?” Jazmine asked. Tendo rolled his eyes at her tone. She never learned the art of tact. Even her brothers at their worst knew how to appear polite. The immediate suspicion in her tone was a surprise though. He’d never known Mako to cause such an immediate reaction in people. Mostly they overlooked her until she unleashed her temper on them like a surgeon with a scalpel, then they obeyed.

“I am Mako Mori.” 

Jazmine tilted her head and looked Mako up and down then peered into her face. “Holy shit. You’re the ‘Girl with the Red Shoe.’ The one Onibaba chased down in Tokyo.”

“Jazz.” Trevin intoned from the bed. The whippet-muscled blonde tilted her head in acknowledgement of his chiding, but kept looking at Mako. 

“Yeah, insensitive. Got it. Didn’t realize you’d enlisted.” Jazz said, tone scathing, after a brief pause. 

“Not all of us run away from the Kaiju.” Mako said. Tendo flinched beside Jazmine. His dead best friend’s little sister deserved that jab in retaliation for her tone and choice of topic. But what she said brought up a lot of unpleasant memories of the Becket Boys. 

“Look here…” Jazmine began before Tendo squeezed her shoulder tightly and pulled her from the room. The Marshal sent him here to do a job, he didn’t need to break up a fight in a hospital room. Mako stepped aside for them to pass and then took up Jazmine’s chair between both beds. Bruce and Trevin looked at each other and then rolled their eyes, still in tandem after all their months in a coma. Mako wasn’t sure if it was a side effect of the drift or being twins. She remained quiet, reading their charts and then pulling out her tablet to answer emails. 

“The Marshal sent you here for a reason, Miss Mori.” Trevin rasped several long minutes later, voice raw from months of disuse. The television played footage of Charlotte Hansen’s latest interview above Mako’s head. 

“He did.” Mako responded, head still resolutely pointed towards her tablet. 

“And?” Bruce asked from the other bed. 

“You will never pilot a Jaeger again.” Mako said, softly, conscious of the delicate subject and the respect she held for the pilots. They’d never treated her any different from any other recruit. Trevin had a partially severed spinal cord that left him marginally paralyzed on his left side. Bruce had a scar looping across his face and connecting to the neater surgical incisions on the top of his head. The doctors peeled back his scalp to cut away his skull in an effort to relieve pressure on his brain. 

“That’s not news.” Trevin said. 

“We knew that as soon as we woke up.” Bruce added. 

“Sensei.” Mako ducked her head. She did not know why Sensei sent her here. She knew they would say yes to her father, but the brewing confrontation with Jazmine Becket had her on edge. She cleared her throat, and mind, focusing on the task at hand. “The Marshal would like you to take over Oblivion Bay. He is making preparations for its sale to a private entity and needs a complete inventory of the Jaegers there.”

“He wants people there he can trust.” Bruce inferred. Mako nodded. 

“Who is purchasing the property if he can keep the UN’s hands off of it?” Trevin asked. 

“Ambassador Grigorovich.” Mako answered. She stopped and looked a bit stricken. “No one is supposed to know this. _I am not supposed to know this.”_ She added with a quick darting look towards the door. Tendo and Jazmine had been gone a long time.

\-----

Jazmine pulled free of Tendo’s surprisingly strong grip moments after he dragged her into the hall. She glared at him, an action which was returned with a quirked eyebrow and quick nod towards the elevator. Jazmine huffed and followed him. They walked in silence. Three floors down to the cafeteria and not a sound outside their footsteps. Tendo pushed Jazmine down into a chair and disappeared. When he came back, he had two cups of tea balanced in one hand. 

“Thanks.” Jazmine muttered. 

“No problem.” He said, depositing his bounty on the small table and then plopping himself into a chair. They sat in silence, enjoying the subpar excuse for caffeination long enough for Jazmine to get twitchy. Tendo barely concealed a grin seeing one of Raleigh’s blatant traits the youngest Becket. Then Jazmine opened her mouth, cursing at the heat of the tea, and Tendo remembered why Raleigh always said Yancy and Jazmine were two halves of the same person. Raleigh had always been the glue holding them together. He smoothed all the rough edges his siblings carried. Right up until the rough edges were ripped away from him, first by a brokenhearted, teenage girl and then by a Kaiju. “So, you gonna tell me what that was about up there?” He finally asked. 

“What was what.”

“You started in on Mako the second you laid eyes on her.”

“I did not.”

“You are too much like your brother to get away with that bullshit, Jazz.”

“Which one?” Tendo glared at her. “Fine. I don’t know. Something about her sets me on edge.”

“Mako does that to people. She’s a nuclear weapon wrapped up in the most unsuspecting camouflage. I’ve seen her twitch an eyebrow and make grown men cry. Try again.”

Jazmine frowned into her cup. “She reminds me of Raleigh.”

“You got all that from one look?” Tendo asked quietly, but incredulously. He’d never considered the comparison before. Tendo would, in a small way, always see Mako as the teenager who punched Chuck Hansen in the throat twenty seconds after meeting him. That girl wore bows in her hair and planted men three times her size on the mats in the Kwoon. Mako, now grown up, was nothing short of awkward and extraordinarily dangerous. 

“It’s the eyes.”

“Huh?”

“Rals always looks, even when he’s trying so desperately to hide it, like a bit of a kicked puppy when he’s uncomfortable. Then, he either lets you overlook him to whoever he’s walked in with, or wows you with that stupidly cool confidence and ability. She looked at me the same way. I wasn’t seeing some itty-bitty Japanese girl with a grudge the size of the Pacific, I was seeing my brother reading everyone in the room trying to see where he belonged. And then the way she didn’t back down, like I was nothing but a fly to swat…That was _all_ Raleigh. I don’t know if you ever saw him angry, Tendo, but that kicked puppy turns into a vicious junkyard dog when Rals gets pissed. Every shred of niceness that he has, just sloughs off and all you’re left with is this raw creature that is calculating thirty moves ahead of you, waiting for you to make a mistake.”

“Jesus, Jazz.” Tendo exhaled. “That’s intense.”

“It’s unnerving, is what it is.” Jazmine said, taking a determined sip of her cooling coffee. “That girl is everything Raleigh could have been if Yancy,” Tendo nearly flinched as her voice cracked on his best friend’s name. “And I hadn’t been around. She’s what he would have become if he’d been alone when mom died. You said she was a nuke wrapped up in camouflage. Rals is the same.”

“So, you what, go straight for the throat?” Tendo pushed. “Jazz, the only reason Raleigh didn’t tear the country apart after you bolted from LA is because you left Bruce and Trevin a note saying you hated him and Yancy. After Knifehead, you’re all he asked for. He begged us all to find you. I think the Vice-Marshal might still have people on the lookout.”

“She does.” Jazmine muttered under her breath. PPDC personnel weren’t exactly inconspicuous, especially in the parts of LA she chose to live in.

“The point is, kid. You knew what happened. Knew that you could come back and everything would be, maybe not forgiven, but overlooked. He needed you and you abandoned him again. And you don’t get to decide that one of my Rangers is persona non grata just because she reminds you of your big brother. We’re fighting a war, Jazz. One that we’re losing. I don’t have time for your bullshit.” 

Jazmine looked up halfway through Tendo’s little rant and studied him. Tendo was briefly reminded of an old TV show he and YeYe used to watch. The look on her face reminded him of the evil queen. That look changed into something even more unsettling as he could now see all the subtle cues that Jazmine was _exactly_ like her eldest brother. Yancy always looked at people like that just before his infamous temper got the better of him. A slight wince passed through Jazmine’s frame as she suppressed a shudder of rage. 

“So, why did you drag me down here then, Tendo? A little heart-to-heart. A reminder of how much of a little shit I am for running away from my family. Or maybe you pulled me out of that room because the grand poo-bah himself sent his pretty, innocuous adopted daughter to convince Bruce and Trevin to come back to work. Maybe you are really pissed at my behavior, it’s more likely you’re stalling for time as that little Harajuku girl sits between them and lays out how this suicidal, mind fuck of a war can be won by some completely unfeasible plan Marshal Pentecost has cooked up in his cancer ridden brain.”

Tendo grinned wryly. He never could pull one over on a Becket. 

“Well, I was dead on wasn’t I?” Jazmine asked. “What’s next, the Marshal has you ask if I’d like to follow in my brothers’ footsteps now that they’re both gone? ‘Why, Jazz, you’re drift compatible. You could do some good, save the world.’ Fuck that.”

“So you really don’t care that we’re losing this war?”

“We fucked the planet up enough for the Kaiju to justify coming back right? Everyone dies sometime. At least I can say my death will be impressive. Or haven’t you figured out that we Beckets don’t die easily or quietly?” Jazmine snarled a bit and Tendo resisted the urge to snap away from her. “Fuck, even my mother went out with a bang. She fought every step of the way and then lit up every machine in her hospital room like a Christmas tree when she died. 

“I don’t want you anywhere near a Jaeger, Jazz. Bruce and Trevin would kill me. Hell, Raleigh would come off the Wall to kick my ass. No. I want you to come with us because it’s all hands on deck here, kid. You’ve gotten hooked up with some pretty dangerous people.” Jazmine frowned at him. “Don’t look at me like that. I know you work for Chau. The Marshal has a deal with him. You’re working for us already. What would it take to get you off the West Coast? I’d like you to be in Hong Kong.”

Jazmine considered this long enough that Tendo finished his tea and left the table to dispose of the cup before she answered him. “Tendo, let’s be honest here. I don’t know you all that well. I know that you and Yancy were best friends and that you were the one who organized every single communication he and Raleigh made to me after they got out of the Academy. I know that you were in San Francisco when Trespasser hit and that you lost someone and that made you enlist in the PPDC. I know that you were the one who streamlined LOCCENT procedures for the PPDC. You have a wife who’s a J-Tech and a kid. I know that you trust Marshal Pentecost with their lives because you’re helping him go along with this fucking insane plan to drop a nuke down the Breach.” Tendo clenched his jaw. “Don’t look at me like that. The Russians _can_ get _anything_ , but Hannibal Chau _knows_ everything. You know what else he knows? The Marshal has started putting out inquiries looking for a certain six-foot-tall, blond, former Jaeger pilot. Chau takes care of his people. He found out and told me. The Marshal wants Raleigh back in a conn-pod. Back in _Gipsy Danger’s_ conn-pod. And he sent you here with the little Japanese action figure up there to drag me to Hong Kong as bait. Because the _second_ Vice-Marshal Hansen sees my name on a duty roster or my face in the Dome, she’s going to pull Raleigh off the goddamned Wall herself.”

“And you don’t want that.”

“I don’t want him on the Wall. But I refuse to be bait. I am not a bargaining chip to keep the Becket boys in line. I never was. Raleigh and Yancy gave up a lot to keep us together after our mom died and then they ran off to fight giant monsters. Yeah, it kept me safe, fed, clothed, whatever, but they abandoned me to go play hero. The Gages took good care of me the year I lived with them. But as much as I love them, they aren’t my brothers. Everything I loved about my brothers died when they strangled a Kaiju in LA and didn’t even come see me until three weeks later. We were in the same city Tendo. They abandoned me. Left me to fend for myself in a world where monsters could legitimately knock down my door and kill me.”

“They were young and…” Tendo started. 

“Bullshit. Do you know what happened when I ran away? Some of those cultists found me. They were dragging me down to the docks to string me up in Clawhook’s skull all because my brothers killed their god. Chau’s people were there harvesting. They killed them and saved me. Chau himself came out to see me, wanted to know why the crazy fucks wanted me dead. And you know what he did when he found out who I was? _Nothing._ He could have sent me back to the Gages in a heartbeat but he didn’t. I get that he wanted a bit of leverage over the PPDC for insurance. But he didn’t have to send me to school. Didn’t have to make sure that I stayed with good people. He and his people took care of me. They didn’t abandon me.”

Tendo gaped. He knew Jazmine couldn’t have hidden half as well without help. And she had the best help possible. Chau could hide a Kaiju in a broom closet if he wanted. Hiding one teenaged girl, child’s play. “So when the Gages found you in Indianapolis?” 

“I was on a delivery. Twelve hundred pounds of powdered Kaiju liver for some rich asshole.”

“And you won’t come to Hong Kong now?”

“Fuck no. I only answer to Chau. We run every harvesting operation from Alaska to Lima. If I go to Hong Kong, the vultures take out my crew and suddenly you’re fighting cultists every time a Kaiju goes down on this side of the Pacific. Besides, Chau will ask me to come over eventually. Especially if things keep getting worse. He likes to have his best people alive and working a profit.”

“And if I send Chau word in a week that we’ve got Raleigh and he wants to see you?”

“Then I’ll make a phone call, but…” She trailed off, the bravado slipping a bit as she considered the likelihood of seeing her big brother again. “But, no. I won’t come running to join your suicide mission.”

“It’s only suicide if it doesn’t work.”

Jazmine glared at him.

\-----

Mako stepped out of the Gages’ hospital room as the nurses and doctors came in to do checks and assessments. She wandered down the hall to the elevator bank and considered her options. The Gages would resume duty and take over Oblivion Bay, as soon as they were medically cleared. She reached out and pressed the down button. Seconds later the elevator doors opened and she pressed the button for the cafeteria floor. Tendo was nothing if not predictable. He would be on the hunt for caffeine. 

She pulled her tablet out and fired off several emails to her team at the Icebox. The work on Gipsy was moving quickly, but she needed the Jaeger ready sooner rather than later. The doors opened as she studied a picture Stella drew for her. the little girl wanted nothing more than to come to Anchorage for her birthday and help Mako fix Gipsy. It was still a few months off, but the girl was remarkably self-possessed for a three-year-old. And it seemed the only people resistant to her charms were Stacker Pentecost and her own mother. Mako smiled at the rough sketch of the two of them alongside a towering Gipsy. The doctors were convinced that some of the toddler’s eccentricities and proficiencies were a direct result of the drift. That the physiological response to neural stimuli affected some of her developing brain chemistry. 

The doors opening stopped her ruminations. The people waiting on the other side immediately put her on edge, even though she maintained her posture and carefully blank façade. Tendo grinned at her and then rolled his eyes at Jazmine Becket. They stepped aside and Mako exited the elevator. 

“Right, we better take this outside.” Tendo said as he turned around and walked briskly towards the exit. He didn’t check to see if the two young women followed him, though they did, glaring daggers at each other. He pushed open the doors to a small courtyard and beckoned the two women through. “Okay, you two, not at all sure what your problems are. But it’s ridiculous. So, go ahead and take a swing at each other.”

Mako stood ramrod straight to Jazmine’s easy and open slouch. They eyed each other and then Tendo, who just shrugged at them. 

“I’m not going to start a fight.” Jazmine finally said. 

“It would be inappropriate behavior.” Mako added. 

“I assume Bruce and Trevin agreed to be part of the suicide mission?” 

“They cannot pilot again.”

“Doesn’t mean you can’t drag them off to the Alamo for the last stand.”

“I do not understand.” Mako furrowed her brow, confused. 

“Oh, never mind. Where are you sending them?”

“Oblivion Bay.”

Jazmine blinked and crossed her arms. “Why?”

“The UN is planning to shut it down. We need trustworthy people there for when our private buyer takes control of the facility.”

“What are you building there?” 

“Nothing.”

“Then why send _them?”_

“You are not part of the PPDC. You do not have clearance.” Mako intoned coolly. She did not expect the fiery tempered Becket to question her so completely. 

“Fine.” Jazmine bit out. “How about this, do you think I should come to Hong Kong as bait for my brother?”

Mako shot a quick look to Tendo. He didn’t even twitch. “No. Ranger Becket is too unpredictable. He takes too many risks. Your presence would make this behavior worse.”

“That’s Raleigh in a nutshell. You think you belong in that Jaeger, yeah? So did Raleigh and it cost him everything.”

“I am not your brother.”

“No, you’re even worse. You, Miss Mori, are wound too tight. You don’t trust anyone, except maybe your father. And even then, he’s been denying you the chance to be a pilot for so long now you’re starting to lose faith. I bet you’re the best fighter out of any pilot candidate the PPDC has. Hell, I bet you routinely take down the active pilots. But you are too angry, too hurt to be an effective pilot.”

“You do not know me.”Mako snapped. Tendo bristled off to the side. Watching this was doing nothing except convincing him that _when_ Raleigh came back, he and Mako would be near perfect drift partners.

“I don’t need to, Miss Mori. I know my brother. You two are exactly the same. I hope you never meet. The two of you will burn everyone around you. There’s just too much pain.”

“And you, Miss Becket?” Mako barely kept her voice even. How dare she critique her. “You are just as much a scared child as I am. You run away from your family, take up with criminals, just so you can avoid facing your fears. I am terrified, I admit it, but I do not let my fear control me.”

Jazmine seethed. She took a step forward, actually considering hitting Mako Mori in the face, before she stopped and clenched her fists at her sides. Tendo took up position just over Mako’s shoulder, not to protect the Ranger, but to intercede if Jazmine got herself in trouble. The youngest Becket sneered at them. 

“Go on your suicide mission. Save the world. Don’t involve me.”

With that, she stalked off and Mako visibly relaxed. Tension bled off her body like she was shedding an overcoat. 

“That could have gone better.” Tendo quipped. 

“I expected this. Sensei did not tell me who would be here, but his voice,” She paused. Trying to think of the right word. “His voice was not confident. He knew she would not agree.”

“You’re right. I hoped she’d come along though. It’s been five years and I’m not sure we have any other plan to convince Raleigh to come home.”

Mako frowned. “Home?”

“Yeah,” Tendo rubbed the back of his neck. “Home. He belongs in a Jaeger. Other than you, kid, I think he’s got as much of a grudge against the Kaiju as anyone in the corps.”

“I think the Hansens would take offence.”

“Yeah, well, they’re special.”

Mako let a small smile twitch her lips up. Special was not the word she would choose to describe the three Australian pilots. 

“You’re special too, Mako.” Tendo smiled, placing a gentle hand on her shoulder. “You’ll get your chance.”

She frowned again. “Sensei is difficult.”

“Yeah, well, it’s the end of the world and you’re his daughter.”

“Do you think she was right about me?” Mako asked in a small voice as Tendo directed her out towards the parking lot where a black SUV waited for them. 

“I think that Jazmine Becket is too much like Yancy was. Quick to anger, quicker to aim for the soft spots in a fight. He wasn’t usually wrong when he lit into people, but that didn’t mean he was right either. You’ll make a fantastic pilot, Mako. I’m sure of it.”

Mako took a deep breath and nodded. “Thank you, Tendo.”

“No problem, kid.”


	31. Home At Last

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Originally posted 30 September 2017. Fully edited and beta'd by 2 January 2018. (Kept original AN. I said what I needed to say.)
> 
> Okay, so this monster of a chapter took a lot out of me writing. And my lovely beta made me rewrite part of the middle section, twice. Any further mistakes or inconsistencies are all on me because he is a saint. I was in a major strop during the rewrites of this and he only called me unreasonable once. 
> 
> Seriously though, this chapter is over eleven-thousand words. Eleven-thousand. I am bloody well dedicated to finishing this story now. Damn. I have also unashamedly taken the dialogue from one of my favorite scenes in the book that became a deleted scene from the movie. You know the one. You do. Don't lie to yourself. 
> 
> The next chapter is not finished because of the major rewrites on this one. I haven't had time to devote to finishing it either. 
> 
> It has also taken me a damn hour and a half to get the stupid HTML coding to work. I am committed to my italics. 
> 
> Have fun reading this monster. I promise to have actual monsters in the next chapter. Monsters and the destruction of a major metropolis. I promise. Cross my heart and reopen the Breach. 
> 
> Happy reading!  
> Farisya

\-----May 4, 2025-----

**0600 HRS, Mess Hall, Hong Kong Shatterdome, Hong Kong, China**

Charlotte flipped vigorously through the stack of _actual_ paperwork Tendo delivered to her the night before. She frowned, not only because the sight of paperwork made her furious, but also at the memory of the stern looks he’d levelled her with the whole time he stood in her office. It seemed everyone was peeved with her for avoiding her brother and their scheduled drift testing the day before. Charlotte didn’t even have a good excuse as to why she didn’t show up. She’d honestly lost track of time and only realized she missed the appointment by several hours when Stella showed up after her lessons. 

Her daughter was sitting across from her at the long table, happily slurping dumplings into her mouth. The four-year-old had Max and Lucy, who’d uncharacteristically not shown up with their masters, pooled at her feet, licking up her occasional spilled food. The dogs woofed as Herc ambled past, headed straight for the coffee. He bent to kiss his granddaughter and pet the dogs. A quick look to his daughter showed the tension in her shoulders and he took it as a sign that she knew he was brassed off. He was bloody tired of her baby steps. He needed proof that she was trying to get better or he’d ground her just like Pentecost did. 

She glanced up at him on his way back and he quirked an eyebrow at her. Charlotte frowned a bit, but then nodded and set about wiping her daughter’s face. Stella chirped at the attention and Herc let himself smile a bit. It was entirely possible his daughter could pull her head out of her ass. Then he cursed inwardly because he remembered that she was too much bloody like him and was more likely to take a step forward today and then take two giant steps backward. Herc resolved to stay the bloody fuck out of it. His kids were grown up, mostly, and he’d done maybe not his best, but certainly a decent job raising them without Angela. 

Charlotte watched Herc leave the mess out of the corner of her eye. She cleaned Stella’s face off and fed the rest of her own breakfast to Max and Lucy. The boys could bitch about the doggy farts later. She bundled up all of her paperwork, made sure Stella had everything put together in her little knapsack. They set off into the Dome, Stella and the dogs leading the way towards her lessons. 

“Stella Bella!” A voice echoed as they rounded a corner. Tendo and Alison Choi were walking along with little Xiang.

“Uncle Tendo!” Stella took off towards the family, dogs hot on her heels. Xiang pulled free of his parents and the two-year-old latched onto his friend with fervor. The children grappled a bit, tickling each other and laughing, the sound rang through the halls of the Dome. It wasn’t something the walls heard very often and several of the workers wandering the corridors stopped to appreciate the sight of the children playing. 

“You get your tests back today right, Stella?” Alison asked. Tendo was surreptitiously trying to decide how much of Charlotte’s paperwork was actually done. 

Stella dodged an overexcited Lucy and poked Xiang between the ribs. “Yeah! Mummy says not to worry about it. And I get to help Xiang’s group with their paintings today!”

“I’m sure he’ll like that a lot.” 

“Mr. Wang says I’m a ‘natural leader.’ He likes putting me with the little kids when we’re doing messy things because they listen to me.” Stella said proudly. The look on her face was a carbon copy of Chuck’s ‘very smug’ expression. Charlotte rolled her eyes, but smiled. She directed the kids on down the hall as Stella chattered along with Alison. 

“You going to finish this paperwork sometime soon?” Tendo asked, sliding into place on Charlotte’s left. 

“You that eager for the job?” 

“Not particularly. But you know you can’t do everything, Charlie.”

“I’ve been doing fine for years.”

“Yes you have. But it was war. You never belonged behind a desk.”

“War isn’t over, mate.”

“No it isn’t.” Tendo sighed as they walked into the Jaeger Bay. All around the huge space, parts streamed towards the three new Jaegers under construction. Hundreds of personnel dotted the room, some of them walking their own children towards the school rooms. With the immediate Kaiju threat gone and PPDC crew returning, people felt safe bringing their families to the Dome. Stella and Xiang wouldn’t have the same lonely experiences in the Dome that the Hansen and Pentecost kids did. They’d have friends. “But we finally have a moment to breathe. You need to take it, Lotte. You need to heal.”

“And staying Vice-Marshal won’t let me do that, eh?” Charlotte snapped a little. 

“No it won’t. You belong in a conn-pod. Don’t forget how long I’ve known you, kid. The only place you _ever_ felt safe was in a Jaeger. The conn-pod is your home.” Charlotte made to protest but Tendo stopped her and wrapped a hand around her shoulder. He’d never really get used to looking up at her. “Charlotte, in all the years I’ve known you, have I ever lied to you or held anything back?”

“No.” Charlotte ground out, watching Alison lead her daughter on through the Bay. 

“So, do you think maybe you ought to listen to me now?”

Charlotte breathed heavily through her nose, tears threatening to collect in the corners of her eyes. “I don’t know how to turn it off.”

“It’s going to take practice. And trust. You need to trust your family.”

Charlotte nodded and Tendo patted her cheek. They walked quickly to catch up with the rest of their little entourage. Just before they did, Charlotte stopped Tendo again. “You’re our family, too, Tendo. You and Alison. Xiang.”

Tendo blushed slightly and smiled widely at her. “Of course we are, Charlie. Don’t forget it.”

She rolled her eyes. 

\------Three hours later-----

Chuck Hansen marched, determined, towards his sister’s office. Raleigh and Mako spent the last forty-eight hours completely wrapped up in each other after their testing. When Charlotte missed the appointment for baseline testing yesterday, the other pilot pair took their place. They spent eight hours in each other’s heads running psychological and physiological drills under Dr. Lightcap’s direction. It was the longest they’d spent in the drift since the long walk down to the Breach. Then, they’d been hyper-focused on their surroundings, the plan, Striker, revenge, everything except the happy memories they held dear. Yesterday changed that. They knew each other inside out now. Shared anything of importance and spent the last two days within an arm’s reach of each other. 

It wasn’t that he was jealous. He was, _just a little,_ but not for the reasons most of the Dome seemed to think. It appeared that only “Call me Newt,” and his dad understood where his anger came from this time. Everyone figured that Chuck didn’t want to share his boyfriend with Mako. It wasn’t that at all. He was jealous because they fit together so well. The drift really was silence for them, a place to let the worst parts of their lives waft past them like smoke. Chuck never had a drift so easy. 

Even during Pitfall, when Pentecost insisted he’d bring nothing to the drift, Chuck did. He brought every angry, hateful, arrogant thought he’d ever had and all the weight of his father’s love and disappointment, of Charlotte’s mistrust and pain. The drifts with his sister were never underpinned by happy childhood memories, no they always, always locked onto the terror of Scissure’s attack on Sydney. They always centered the drift on the bright flash and shockwave of the tactical nuke that killed the Kaiju, and their mother. 

Drifting with Herc was easier, but not much. His father exerted a level of control over Chuck in the drift he could never replicate in life. There they worked as a team, but with his father clearly in charge. Chuck never failed to buck against that control at least once during the drift, before they centered on whatever fight they’d had last. It was then they could apologize to each other, smooth the ruffled feathers, let the softer emotions anchor them to a thrumming locus of pain. After that, the tempered steel of their respective ire would turn outward onto any Kaiju stupid enough to stay up and fighting. 

Raleigh and Mako simply fit together, their own rage and pain sharpening to a fine point as they sought revenge. They centered on a deadly calm, like the eye of a hurricane. Chuck’s drifting never failed to remind him of a forest fire, unpredictable and overwhelming. 

Dr. Geiszler, after he cornered Chuck in one of the halls as he wandered the Dome the night before, surprisingly gave him the best advice. He’d forced Chuck to admit to his jealousy and then realize that it was not only his apprehension and frustration with Charlotte, but his own drift history clogging up his head with negativity. Newt came off sounding like a complete hippy, but he realized that however he and Charlotte did today, he could live with it. 

After the fourth person turned around and walked the other direction from him in the halls, Chuck tried to wipe the scowl off his face. His near-death experience and forced solitude with Raleigh after Pitfall had softened most of his rough edges. He needed to remember that before he let his sister rile him up. Needed to remember that, for the first time since he was a child, he was maybe not happy, but content. 

He rounded the corner and snuck a look into his father’s office through the open door. Herc glanced up and studied his only son. Chuck had an uncomfortably familiar, stubborn set to his shoulders and jaw. The bomber jacket was back on, like armor, and his hands clenched into fists at his sides. Max was nowhere near and Herc hoped Raleigh had the poor dog. 

“Is it that time already?”

“Yeah.”

“She’s in there. Ventured in for a file about twenty minutes ago.”

“Good.” Chuck turned to leave. 

“Chuck.” Herc sighed from his desk. “Remember she’s trying. Don’t let her weasel out of it, yeah? But keep in mind that she’s even worse than you at keeping her shit together.”

Chuck smirked, snarled. Herc couldn’t tell. “Yeah, well I got over it.” Herc quirked an eyebrow. “Mostly.” 

“Tell her I’ll make Raleigh and Mako handle Stella today. You two don’t come out of that lab for anything short of the Breach reopening.” Herc let the, rarely used, tone of authority slip into his voice. Chuck just threw him a mock salute and turned to barge into Charlotte’s office across the hall. 

Charlotte looked up sharply, ready to berate the person interrupting her. She promptly shut her mouth when she realized it was her brother. A quick glance at the clock and then the stack of transfer paperwork she had to do for Tendo stirred a deep groan out of her. She flopped her head down on the desk and sighed heavily. 

“Whoever invented paperwork needs to be introduced to the power of a plasma cannon.”

Chuck tried not to smirk at his sister and failed. “Come on, lazy bludger. Time to go.”

“I’ve got to get Stella first.”

“Nope. Mako and Ray have the sprog for the rest of the day.”

“I need caffeine.” She tried. 

“Last time you did that before a drift Herc had to have them sedate you after.”

“Fine. Will you at least let me take a piss?”

“Of course.” Chuck closed her office door behind him and eyed her as she retreated into the small en suite. 

Charlotte closed the door firmly and slumped against it. Chuck was on the warpath. Everything about his body language screamed at her. She wasn’t ready to let him in her head. She wasn’t. 

“If I don’t hear you moving, I’m gonna drag you out of there.” Chuck’s voice boomed from the other side of the door, startling her. 

“Fucking hell! Don’t do that! Bastard.” Charlotte pounded the door once and then actually used the restroom. She emerged a few moments later, scrubbing damp hands across her face. “Alright, let’s do this.”

“Don’t sound so excited.” Chuck said, literally pushing her out the door. 

“Bite me, Chuckles.” She retorted. “Ow!”

“You told me to do it.” 

The siblings devolved into childish taunts and shoving that lasted them all the way to the lab. Pausing at the door, Charlotte glared at her brother. 

“Don’t think I don’t know what all that was.”

“Hmm?” Chuck smiled serenely.

“I’m still bloody nervous and…”

“And nothing. You’re doing this. You agreed. Hell, I bet even Steve told you to follow through. I am owed this. If you never pilot with me again, I will at least know _why._ Shutting me out, Herc, everyone, that stops here and now. We’ve always been a team, Charlie. That doesn’t stop, no matter what happens in there.”

Charlotte took a steadying breath and nodded. Chuck pushed open the doors and found himself immediately dragged to the comfy armchairs that Dr. Lightcap finally received the day before. The snippy blokes that did Raleigh and Mako’s testing were nowhere to be found. Instead, a manic looking Newt had both pilots by the hands, pulling them towards a much more official set up than his own garbage-PONS unit. 

“Let go of me, mate.” Chuck growled. Newt dropped his hand like it was a stick of dynamite, but gestured wildly at the chair. 

“Dr. Geiszler, use your words.” Dr. Lightcap chided, walking across her lab with her husband as an omnipresent shadow. 

“Sorry, Caitlyn. Chuck, Vice-Marshal, take your seats.”

“Why is he here?” Charlotte asked at the same time Chuck interrupted with, “Oi! Why did you use _her_ title and not mine?”

Newt spluttered, but ignored Chuck and started attaching leads from the EKGs to his head. Dr. Lightcap began doing the same to Charlotte. “He’s here because he wants to see how you two drift and compare it to the baseline he took with Hermann after they drifted with the baby Kaiju.”

Charlotte frowned. “So we’re an experiment.”

“Yes.” 

“Will he be touching me or asking me questions?” Chuck bristled in his chair. 

“No.” Newt started to protest but Dr. Lightcap shot him a scathing look and Serge levelled him with a terrifying glare. “He will not. Newt is here to observe only. He will not be involved unless it becomes necessary or I feel his questions are beneficial to your purpose here today.”

“How long do you plan on keeping us, Doc?” Charlotte asked, hissing as Dr. Lightcap slid the PONS cap over her head. 

“For as long as it takes for your drift to level out to an acceptable level. I studied the readings from the Taurax deployment.” She frowned at both Rangers. “If I didn’t know you two, and your abilities so well, I’d be surprised you managed to maintain that drift. As it is, you two were an absolute mess in that conn-pod. If you hadn’t switched to the left-hemisphere controlling Striker when you did, you’d both be dead. The test you did in December backed up those readings. I’m not doing anything with you until you get your shit together in there.” She punctuated her sentence by poking them both, _hard,_ between the eyes. Both of them reached up and rubbed their heads. “Right, Newt, fire it up. Let’s get started.”

The PONS unit flared to life and Charlotte reached blindly to her left for her brother’s hand, eyes closed and frowning. Chuck obliged and gripped her fingers tightly. Serge stopped his wife from saying anything. He rested a hand on the back of her neck and squeezed lightly. These kids needed the contact. Chuck watched the whole exchange. He glanced at his sister then back to Brawler Yukon’s pilots and gave them a grim smile and quick nod. Dr. Lightcap looked to Newt and signaled for him to engage the machine. 

_… “Charlie. Charlie, it’s dad. Wake up, sweetheart. Please wake up. You have someone to meet.” Charlotte looked at the bundle in her father's arms and smiled. Her baby brother was finally here. …_  
_…Chuck brushed his father’s hand off his shoulder and burrowed under the scratchy blankets his grandmother put on the twin bed. “You should have saved her.”…_  
_…Charlotte turned on her grandfather, eyes blazing with a fury that shook her thirteen-year-old frame. Her hands balled into fists at her sides. “Don’t you ever dare talk about him like that again.”_  
_“Excuse me, young lady?”_  
_“I said, don’t talk about him like that.”_  
_“I am in charge in this house, Diana.”_  
_“My name is Charlotte.” She muttered. Her grandmother stepped lightly into the room behind her husband._  
_“Your name is Diana. And you will not speak to me like this in my house. Your father has abandoned you two here without so much as a by your leave.”_  
_“He left so he could kill them!”_  
_Tess Hansen stepped forward to stop her husband from saying anything else. She wasn’t fast enough. “You honestly think he’s going to make it, with_ Scott _as his copilot? That’s like asking a chimp to do calculus. They’re going to bloody die and we’ll be stuck with two ungrateful brats.”_  
_Charlotte pulled her hand back. The sound of her palm connecting with Donovan Hansen’s cheek reverberated through the room…_  
_…Angela slapped her husband. The envelope full of his deployment papers fell out of his hands as he stared at her. Herc reached up to touch his reddening cheek._  
_“Ang…”_  
_“No. You don’t get to ‘Ang’ me and act like everything is fine. Our children are not soldiers, Herc. You can’t let them think you’ll only be proud of them if they follow your footsteps. We’ll lose them if you do that.”_  
_Herc pulled her in close, desperate to show her that he loved her, that the thought of their kids becoming soldiers terrified him, too…_  
_…Herc looked at his son sadly. Posters of Gipsy Danger lay shredded across the floor of his children’s shared bunk. Max was curled up on the foot of the bed watching Chuck with confused eyes. The boy himself sat on the edge of his bed, head in his hands, sobbing silently…_  
_…Charlotte’s cheek hurt. Raleigh woke screaming from another nightmare and his elbow grazed her face as she leapt up with him. She’d already learned, thanks to a shallow cut on her forehead and a lecture from his doctors, not to try containing him. He was currently curled up in the corner of the room, covered in a blanket she’d managed to lay across his shoulders, and muttering to himself. She inched closer to him, trying to figure out what he was saying._  
_“Yancy. Yancy. Yancy. Yancy. Yancy. Yancy.”_  
_She choked back a sob and collapsed next to Raleigh on the floor. He kept whispering his brother’s name, like a prayer, but pulled her in close. He tucked her up under his chin, legs splayed out on either side of her and rested a hand on her swollen belly. Still muttering, he started tracing designs on her stomach, something Yancy did whenever they had five minutes to themselves._  
_“Yancy. Yancy. Yancy. Yancy. Yancy. Yancy.”_  
_He kissed her temple and Charlotte started crying…_  
_…Chuck reeled inside the conn-pod. Crimson Typhoon and Cherno Alpha already had the Kaiju distracted, but it was fast, countering every move they made. He felt like vomiting. Herc reached up and muted their comms._  
_“Chuck, don’t go there. I know you’re scared, son. But we’ve got millions of people counting on us to save them.” Chuck blanched inside his helmet and shot his father a terrified look. “Chuck. If anyone can do this, can win this war, it’s you.”_  
_Herc felt more than saw the subtle shift in his son. He pushed every memory of his pride in Chuck through the drift._  
_“Dad? What if?”_  
_“We don’t deal with what if’s here. Either we take down the Kaiju, or it takes us down.”_  
_Frightened memories of the footage from Knifehead’s destruction of Gipsy Danger, of seeing the damage to the Mark III in photos Mako took flashed through the drift._  
_“I won’t tell you it couldn’t happen, Chuck. It could. But we have something to fight for. Your sister is counting on us. That baby is counting on us. We owe it to her to kill them all.”_  
_Chuck’s posture straightened in the harness. He flipped the comms off mute and spared his father a glance. “Striker Eureka ready to deploy K-Scunner rockets.”_  
_Herc grinned, a little sad, a little manic and engaged the chest rockets as his son spoke. “Cherno, Crimson, hit the deck!” He shouted…_  
_… “You should have saved her.” …_  
_…Scott and Herc stood at the edge of the mats in the Kwoon watching Charlotte and Charlie spar. Both kids were learning the Jaeger Bushido quickly. Movement from the far side of the room drew the brothers’ attention as Pentecost’s newly adopted daughter entered the room…_  
_… “Charlie. Please come down and talk to me.” Charlotte pleaded with her brother. He stayed hidden in Lucky Seven’s knee joint, ignoring her. “Charlie. I don’t want to climb up there with your present.”_  
_Charlie leaned out and looked down to see if his sister was lying. She wasn’t. There was a rather large box sitting at her feet. He sighed, wiped his eyes of the tears he didn’t want her to see, and began climbing down._  
_“Hand it over then.” He gruffed at her, voice cracking from a mix of puberty and emotion._  
_Charlotte sighed, but pushed the box gently towards him with her foot. Charlie lit into the packaging with unusual temerity. He peeled back the loose paper and then jumped a bit when the box moved._  
_“I swear if you’ve gotten me a bloody lizard, Charlotte.” The box barked. Charlie’s eyes widened comically and he ripped the rest of the paper off. Inside was a small bulldog puppy. Charlie eagerly picked him up and cradled him close._  
_“I couldn’t leave you here by yourself.” Charlotte whispered, as if she was unsure of Charlie’s reaction. He didn’t like it. She was never nervous around him. Of course she’d never kept a secret from him before either._  
_“He’s perfect.”_  
_Charlotte choked up a bit. “Good.”_  
_“You’re still not bloody forgiven, though.” …_  
_… Herc slammed the door in Yancy Becket’s face. The tosser showed up to his and Charlotte’s temporary quarters every couple hours, asking to see her and he was bloody fucking done with it. This was all his fault. Charlotte practically growled from her spot on the bottom bunk._  
_“You’re gonna have to let him in eventually, Herc.”_  
_“I bloody well do not. This is all his fault.”_  
_“Oh and it’s not mine for having sex? Or Ian’s for purposefully doing this to me? Or, I don’t know, how about Tatiana’s for chasing him my way at that bloody party?”_  
_Herc scowled. He slowly turned back and opened the door. Yancy was still standing there. Herc pushed past him and left the room. Yancy peeked in and Charlotte smiled at him…_  
_…Chuck stifled a pleased groan at the sight greeting him. Raleigh was curled up on his bed, Max and Lucy bracketing his feet. Chuck sent him back to the suite hours ago with the express order to sleep off the horrendous migraine brewing behind Raleigh’s increasingly tired eyes. He’d refused, of course, and so Mako had frog-marched him up to the suite, returning an hour later with the proclamation that he was well and truly asleep. Bloody troll that she was, she didn’t tell him where_ or that Raleigh was fucking naked under Chuck’s sheets. _Max woofed quietly, and Raleigh rolled over. He sleepily blinked up at Chuck, the sheet pulling down at his hips, exposing miles of skin. Then he smiled at Chuck._  
_“Hey there.” Raleigh rasped, voice still sleep muddled._ Bloody fuck, _Chuck thought. He was so goddamned in love with this man…_  
_…Charlotte came up to stand next to her father. Stacker Pentecost and an irate Tamsin Sevier, who was still loudly protesting the doctor’s insistence that she remain in a wheelchair until her latest round of tests came back, were leading a whip-thin, haunted Asian girl into the Jaeger Bay. Chuck glanced at his sister as she joined them. She looked confused by the girl’s presence._  
_Chuck turned back to the girl with a wicked smile. Stacker introduced her, Mako Mori. Mako, the girl with the red shoe, the girl that survived a raging kaiju chasing her through Tokyo’s streets. Mako of the haunted eyes and a broken smile directed at his sister. Chuck suddenly hated her. Why did_ she _survive when his mother didn’t?_  
_He opened his mouth, said something rude. He knows he did. Not sure what it was exactly, knows he’ll never really remember. But it earned him a swift punch to the throat that dropped him to the ground. Mako froze and looked over to the adults and Charlotte. She looked terrified. Stacker was frowning slightly, though the crinkling edges of his eyes betrayed his amusement. Tamsin was outright laughing, propping her cancer-thin frame against Stacker’s hip and the arm of her wheelchair. Herc was desperately trying not to laugh at his son getting decked by a girl who barely reached his shoulders. Charlotte rolled her eyes, said something, Chuck wasn’t sure what in his dazed state, and hauled him up to his feet. Then she cuffed him, hard, across the back of his head. Chuck swayed from the second hit but managed to give Mako the sincerest apology he could manage._  
_Max trotted up and plopped himself at her feet. The puppy had a particular weakness for pretty young girls. Mako looked to Chuck, desperately asking for permission to pet his dog without saying a word. He nodded and then bent down to give Max a vigorous belly rub, alongside Mako’s petite hands. She smiled at him and Chuck returned it easily, knowing he was totally gone on her. This wasn’t an adolescent crush. No, this was one tortured soul recognizing another…_  
_… “Mom always wanted another little girl.” Yancy said, tracing nonsense patterns across her belly._  
_“Yeah?” Charlotte asked, burrowing her face into Yancy’s neck and inhaling the remaining scent of his cologne._  
_“Uh huh. Wanted a pair of boys and girls each.”_  
_Charlotte looked down at her belly as she felt her little girl moving inside. “What did she want to name her?”_  
_“Stella.” …_  
_…Ceramander attacked Coyote Tango with a viciousness that surprised its pilots. Vic and Gunnar’s twin shouts of pain as the Kaiju dug talons deep into the Jaeger’s torso, wrenched through Chuck’s head. Herc was actively engaging the chest rockets and Chuck used his father’s split attention to push himself forward as the dominant pilot, just for a moment. He ran full-tilt at the Kaiju, forcing it to dislodge its claws from Coyote and swing at the incoming Mark V. Vic and Gunnar reacted immediately shoving the Kaiju back and slicing it up. Chuck let his rage consume him. Herc grunted slightly with the effort of holding his son in check and used the rocket launch as a moment to quell the fire invading his own head._  
_“Chuck!” Herc demanded, actually speaking out loud. In all their drifts, they were silent, communicating verbally only to speak to other people or scream at the monsters they fought._  
_Chuck reeled from the force of his father’s own tightly controlled fury. He shoved his ire down and let the emotion fuel him instead of overwhelm him. The rockets damaged Ceramander, but didn’t kill it. Striker dove in to grapple with the monster. Coyote darted in and around the Mark V, slicing the Kaiju up and splitting its attention, as father and son rained down crippling blows. When Ceramander finally died, Herc and Chuck stood over its corpse, panting so hard that Striker’s shoulders shifted with their movements. Herc looked to his son and barely contained a pained frown at the emotion he felt through their connection…_  
_…Scott looked over at his niece and nephew with disgust. Charlotte, recently graduated from the Jaeger Academy and regaling her younger brother with stories of the Becket brothers she’d befriended, sat with perfect military posture on the long bench. Chuck listened gleefully, leaning forward across the cafeteria table on his elbows, despite the dour expression on his face. Scott took a healthy swig of his beer and decided he hated them. Hated their unfailing ability to channel their rage and pain into a dizzyingly competent capability that outshone him. How they could so easily let go of their fear to wreak havoc and destruction. How they never let the fear overwhelm them…_  
_…Herc nearly screamed in frustration. The doctor in front of him, sensing the danger the Jaeger pilot posed to his safety, wisely stepped back, still refusing to let Herc scrub in for the operating room where Dr. Marvelo had his daughter strapped down for a Caesarean._  
_“Ranger Hansen, your daughter is in good hands. If we let you in now, it could disrupt the preparations for the surgery. This is a time-sensitive operation.”_  
_Herc growled lowly, startling the doctor further. He knew exactly how_ time-sensitive _it was. He was the one who’d spent the last three hours watching his daughter writhe in pain from unnaturally powerful contractions. He was the one who saw the blood on the sheets and knew something was wrong. He was the one who’d forced the nurses to call Dr. Marvelo and get her to Kodiak from Anchorage. He was the one who held his daughter’s hand as Paula told her the baby was twisted up in the umbilical cord and they had to operate immediately._  
_Now this wispy-thin doctor was telling him he couldn’t follow her into the operating room. Couldn’t hold her hand and comfort his daughter as they tried to save his granddaughter’s life. Utter despondent fear overwhelmed him and he felt hot tears start slowly streaming down his face. A hand on his shoulder pulled him away from the doctor and he looked over to see his equally terrified son. Ghost drift or not, Herc could read his son’s emotions like a book now. The blank look on his face belied the distress telegraphed in the grip of his hands. Chuck pulled his father in for a brief hug, startling him, and then let go to drag his father to the waiting room._  
_Herc kept silently crying as Chuck shoved him into an uncomfortable chair. He held his son’s hand and let himself hope that he’d done right by his children, that they were strong enough for this world, because in this moment he wasn’t sure he would survive his daughter’s pain if she lost this baby. Not after Yancy…_  
_…Charlie sobbed in fear as the teachers shuffled terrified students down the hallway towards the school exit. There was a house down the street that had an old air raid shelter. After Trespasser attacked San Francisco, the owner and the principal began weekly drills that sent every student towards the shelter. Charlie knew that the shelter couldn’t hold all the students. But the parents and teachers said nothing. The point was to get as many children to safety as possible if a Kaiju attacked Sydney Harbour._  
_That Kaiju appeared on Sydney’s horizon two days ago. The massive beast, named Scissure, began ravaging the Harbour and Angela Hansen decided to send her children to school and move to evacuate her mother from the hospital. Charlie spent the whole day wondering when she would show up to take them to safety. His mum could take on anything. And if anything made it past an irate Angela then Hercules Hansen would gleefully squish it._  
_Suddenly a larger body pulled Charlie out of the line of students dutifully and fearfully following the teachers. Charlotte pulled her brother into a quick hug and quickly checked his knapsack to make sure he still carried the survival kit their father put in after K-Day._  
_“You alright, Charlie?” She finally asked, gripping her little brother’s hand tight._  
_“We won’t fit. There’s too many students.” He whispered. Charlotte frowned and then glared at a teacher who tried shuffling them along._  
_“I know. Mum called me.” Charlie suddenly took back every complaint he had that his sister got a phone and he didn’t. He knew he wouldn’t have held himself together if he heard his mother’s voice right now. Charlotte was the strong one. “She wants us to stay here.”_  
_“We’re right next to the harbor. Why can’t she come get us?”_  
_“Because she and Papa are with Granny.” Charlotte looked pained, obviously not telling him everything. Charlie knew something was very wrong because his sister never looked scared or upset. She was a rock._  
_“What are we gonna do?” Charlie asked, more than a little scared now._  
_Charlotte was saved from answering by the sound of a distant roar quickly followed by the sonic boom of jets engaging afterburners. One of the teachers ran by, shouting that the Kaiju was coming across the Spit and they had an hour to evacuate. Charlie clung to his sister. She frantically dove for her phone and pressed the number two on her speed dial. Charlie tuned out the conversation, focusing on the teachers instead, they were now carrying smaller students and running out the doors. Charlotte grabbed Charlie’s hand and pulled him through the panicking mass of students towards the school’s back entrance._  
_She dragged him through the neighborhood surrounding the school, pulling him towards Beauty Point OOSH. They spent hours there after school sometimes as their mother and grandfather visited their dying grandmother in the hospital. Now, Charlie wasn’t excited to see the familiar playgrounds and buildings, he was confused. Then he heard it, the rhythmic thumping of a helicopter’s rotor blades approaching._  
_He looked up and registered the sight of his father’s grim face behind the controls of the helicopter before Charlotte pulled him down to withstand the chop wash. Then there was a lot of shouting and Charlotte actually hit their father before Hercules Hansen screamed in her face, forcing her into submission. He hauled Charlie up and buckled him into the chopper’s passenger seat as Charlotte climbed into the copilot’s seat. Jets flew overhead, towards the Spit, and the sound of missiles and shells firing from planes and tanks echoed loudly._  
_The helicopter rose into the air and Charlie got his first real look at the Kaiju tearing his city apart. He took in the long snout and bioluminescence. He watched as it swatted jets from the sky like flies and threw tanks into the sea. He listened to it roar. Then he realized his father was talking across the headset Charlie didn’t realize he was wearing. He knew the pilot could control which headset he spoke too, muting the others. He knew he wasn’t supposed to hear the argument Charlotte and his dad were having._  
_He knew in his bones as the helicopter turned away from the Kaiju, heading South, that he’d never see his mother again. Charlotte was screaming at their father, demanding he stop. Charlie held back a sob. Then he saw it. His sister’s bag. He knew her phone was still inside it._  
_He pulled it from its safe perch and dug for the phone. It lit up suddenly and Charlie’s hand closed around it. He looked at the message on the screen dumbly._  
‘I love you.’ _The message said._  
_Charlie fumbled trying to unlock the phone, his shaking fingers missing the right numbers. He managed to hit one on Charlotte’s speed dial and heard the line ring once before a bright light whited out his vision. Herc was already landing the helicopter as the nuke detonated, but the shockwave still buffeted the chopper around a bit. When Charlie regained his head, Charlotte was crying. A flood of tears streaming down her face silently. He was in his dad’s arms, the phone still in his hand…_  
_…Charlotte seethed as Yancy walked away with a woman on each arm. The bastard was supposed to stick with her tonight. She’d flown all the way out from Hong Kong for her week-long furlough, just to see them. Sighing, she reflexively checked her phone for messages from her brother. Chuck had taken to sending her obnoxious pictures whenever she spent her leave with the Becket Boys. His not-so-secret crush on her best friend rearing its ugly, jealous head at the tabloid pictures of Charlotte and Raleigh which inevitably appeared._  
_Said best friend was across the room testing the Kinsey score of another Ranger. The man piloted a Mark II, Charlotte couldn’t remember which one, and Raleigh had already bedded his copilot the night before. The woman was now prowling up to Raleigh and her drift partner. The quick exchange Charlotte witnessed made her laugh under her breath. The woman had obviously suggested that she’d appreciate nothing more than her copilot being between her and Raleigh Becket, based on the shade of red his face turned._  
_Checking her phone again, Charlotte sighed. Movement in front of her drew her attention back up though and she found the bartender smiling gently at her. The woman deftly turned down Yancy’s offer earlier and served Charlotte a large pint of Guinness despite this party’s location in the US and the pilot’s eighteen years._  
_“There’re at least a half-dozen guys eyeing you in this room and you’re looking at your phone.” The busty redhead intoned, arching an eyebrow._  
_“Jaeger flies aren’t really my thing.”_  
_“Hmm. Well, you might need another drink then, kid.”_  
_“At some point someone is going to arrest you for serving alcohol to me.” Charlotte teased._  
_“I’d like to see them try.” The redhead smirked. Charlotte’s brow furrowed. “I’m not just a bartender, kiddo. I’m part of the security detail.”_  
_Charlotte eyed the mid-thigh black cocktail dress the woman wore. It was skin-tight and only the woman’s belt looked like it could be a weapon. “Are you supposed to tell me that? I thought the point was to be discreet?”_  
_“Eh. You look trustworthy.” Charlotte arched an eyebrow and the bartender laughed. “You also look like you’d happily start a fight right now and I figure plying you with a beer or two and some conversation might keep you from beating anyone up.”_  
_“Alright then.” Charlotte smiled, she liked this woman. A figure appeared on her left and she startled a bit to find her favorite Jumphawk pilot suddenly leaning his back against the bar next to her. “Barnes! You bastard. How’d you get in?”_  
_The fingers of his left hand flexed and he smirked down at the young woman. “Well, there are a lot of us in here with special training, courtesy of the military and_ others, _and some of us were tasked with keeping the Rangers safe while staying invisible. No one is going to bat an eye at a pilot or,” he paused and flicked his eyes over his shoulder to the bartender. Charlotte looked between them, noting the heated look they shared. “A bartender. We are part of the scenery.”_  
_Charlotte narrowed her eyes. She didn’t believe that for a second. “Bullshit. You two are drawing just as much attention as any of the Rangers in here.”_  
_Barnes and the bartender shared another look as he turned to lean his elbows on the bar top. The bartender smiled at him and plopped down Charlotte’s beer and a shot of vodka for Barnes. “You always keep my favorites around, Talia.”_  
_He downed the shot quickly and Charlotte looked between them again. “Oh, holy shit. You two are together.” Barnes turned to look at her, a hard edge in his gaze. The bartender, Talia, smiled serenely._  
_“Damn. No wonder you turned Yancy down.” Charlotte continued. “If Barnes hadn’t seen me go through puberty, I’d be climbing him like a tree.”_  
_Both women ignored the slightly horrified look on Barnes’ face as they broke into giggles. Charlotte found herself pleasantly distracted by both of them for a long time. Then, as it always did when she spent any time with the Beckets, something obnoxious happened._  
_Yancy Becket’s more-than-slightly drunk hand landed on Charlotte’s shoulder turning her to face him. The two Jaeger flies from earlier were gone and he had smudges of lipstick along his collar. He also reeked of sex. Charlotte frowned, a myriad of negative emotions flitting through her. She was a bit surprised at the surge of jealousy. Her crush on Yancy hadn’t surfaced in years, but for some reason the look on his face and his proximity were making that ember flare to life again._  
_“Lotte! I wanted to talk to you.” Controlling her emotions, but not the frown on her face, Charlotte pulled Yancy’s hand off her shoulder, only to have him grip it tight and bring it up for a chaste kiss across the knuckles. Talia quickly pulled the glassware off the bar as an excuse to hover nearby. Charlotte had no doubt that if Yancy got belligerent in his drunken state, he’d suddenly find his face well-acquainted with the bar top._  
_“Really? Why? Jaeger flies not up for stimulating conversation, Yance?” Charlotte ground out._  
_“No.” He frowned, recognizing the look on her face. “Are you angry with me?”_  
_Barnes slipped away into the crowd behind Charlotte. Yancy’s eyes tracked him for a moment before his focus returned to Charlotte, who was fast becoming uncomfortable under the weight of those blue eyes. “I’m not happy you’re a drunken mess who stinks of sex right now.”_  
_“Oh.”_  
_“What did you want, Yance?”_  
_“I wanted to tell you something important.”_  
_Raleigh suddenly appeared at Yancy’s elbow. He shot Charlotte a pained look. Barnes was behind him. Charlotte pulled her hand away from Yancy’s grip and patted his cheek. “You can tell me in the morning when you’re sober.”_  
_Yancy frowned and looked at his brother. Charlotte couldn’t define the look that passed between them, but knew in her bones that Yancy desperately wanted Raleigh to disappear so he could keep talking to her. Raleigh did no such thing and gently dragged his brother away towards the exit._  
_Charlotte watched them go with a sudden pain in her chest that she couldn’t rightly attribute to anything but the look in Yancy’s eyes as Raleigh pulled him away from her. He’d never looked at her like that before…_  
_**…Chuck, please…**_  
_**…We’re almost done…**_  
_**…It’s too much…**_  
_… “It’s too much. I can’t do this!” Raleigh screamed from the hospital bed. Charlotte and Tendo dodged the lunch tray he’d flung at them in his grief fueled rage._  
_“Rals, you need to talk to them.” Tendo implored, looking to Charlotte for support. She revealed nothing. She’d already started forming plans to get Raleigh off base, to get him away from the clawing figures of Kaiju and PPDC brass alike._  
_“I need…” Raleigh began. The silent ‘my brother’ echoed through the room. Charlotte stayed silent too…_  
_…Scott cornered the girl in the lift. She was a slim little thing. Pale skin and strawberry blonde hair in abundance. He snorted another line of coke off her collarbone, following it with a quick swipe of his tongue. The girl whimpered and Scott suddenly realized exactly how young she was. He looked her in the eyes and smirked…_  
_… “She is not getting in a conn-pod again until I’m sure she won’t blow up a Dome, Stacker!” Herc shouted at his friend. They may both still be in uniform, but they’d agreed to have this row as friends rather than as soldiers._  
_“She is the only pilot I have left, Herc.”_  
_“No, she isn’t. She knows where Becket is. I know you’ve been looking for him.”_  
_“You want me to push her on this?” Stacker asked, more than a bit surprised._  
_“I don’t want my granddaughter to be an orphan.” Herc said, slumping into a chair…_  
_… “Mummy?”_  
_“Yes, love?”_  
_“Who is Yancy?” Stella asked, curious like only a four-year-old could be._  
_Charlotte turned a carefully controlled expression on her daughter. “He was one of mummy’s friend’s. He died fighting the Kaiju.”_  
_“Oh. Did you love him?”_  
_Charlotte blanched. “Why’re you asking, Stella?”_  
_“Because when you look at pictures sometimes you look sad but you smile too. Grandpa does the same thing when he looks at pictures of Grandma.”_  
_“Ah.” Charlotte said, using the moment to collect herself. “Well, I did love him. Very much.”_  
_“Do you miss him?” Stella asked, crawling into her mother’s lap._  
_“Every day.”_  
_“Does it hurt, mummy?” The little girl asked, her small body curled up against her mother’s chest._  
_“Yes, but you make me feel better.”_  
_“Good. I don’t think he’d want you to be sad. I think he’d want you to fight.”_  
_Charlotte didn’t know what to say to that and settled for stroking her daughter’s hair..._  
_…Chuck and Charlotte stood in front of the mausoleum. They’d spent a long time shuffling around various Shatterdomes, following in Scott and Herc’s wake as they were relocated over and over. This was their first trip back to Sydney since they’d climbed into a car with their father and uncle and headed for Alice Springs._  
_Charlotte reached out to clean a bit of dirt off the simple brass markers indicating that Angela Hansen and her parents should be buried inside. Chuck grit his teeth. They’d been told that the Kaiju killed their mother. Both Hansen siblings knew differently. Chuck saw the text his mother sent in the moments before the nuke went off and Charlotte got it out of him later. They still hadn’t told their father. That text message was for them. Their last bit of love from their mother. It would stay theirs for a while yet._  
_Chuck stepped forward and set down the two flower pots he held. Charlotte passed him a trowel and he dug two holes quickly, firmly ensconcing both plants into the ground next to the mausoleum’s gate. He began weaving the delicate tendrils of one plant into the iron grate of the mausoleum. Charlotte joined him a moment later. Their Granny treasured the Wonga Wonga flowers that grew in her garden. Angela Hansen loved them so much that she and Herc got married under the pergola in that garden. Those vines and the garden were gone now, destroyed by the rampaging Kaiju._  
_The siblings worked in silence, both of them shaking with the effort not to scream and rage and cry. They decorated the empty tombs of their family with every happy memory they could. When they were done, all the joy of their childhoods twisted around the cold iron gate of vacant graves. Charlotte pulled her brother away, towards the car where Tess Hansen waited. Their grandmother was a cold woman who expected perfection from her children and grandchildren. But, despite this, she’d loved Angela too. Chuck watched her as they approached. She twitched as if to hug them and then seemed to think better of it…_  
_…Chuck and Mako, visiting from Hong Kong, snuck into LOCCENT. The Academy was alerted when a Kaiju came through the Breach, same as a Dome. But instead of the scramble to deploy a Jaeger, the cadets were ferried into the simulators to train their battle-readiness. Chuck slipped away from the crowd and dragged his best friend towards the control room where they could watch the real fight._  
Hiding behind crates and watching the screens avidly, both teens perked up at the news that Gipsy Danger was ready to deploy. They shared an excited look at the chance to watch the PPDC’s best pilots in action. They listened to the banter between the Icebox’s LOCCENT chief, Tendo Choi, and the Becket boys.   
_Then they frowned, in tandem, when the comms went silent. Mako shot Chuck a scared look at the angry growl her father issued, the sound crackling through the Academy’s speakers. Then the comms flared to life again long minutes later as Gipsy Danger went off mission and rescued the fishing boat._  
_One of the Academy’s LOCCENT techs finally keyed up the footage of Gipsy’s external cameras up on the big screen. Chuck and Mako leaned out and watched eagerly as the Mark III engaged the Kaiju. The fight was brutal and brief. Knifehead sank between the waves and Chuck grinned at Mako at the sound of Raleigh Becket’s elated voice._  
_Then everything went to hell._  
_Afterwards, Chuck realized that Mako had dragged him back to his bunk, making excuses to the instructors that he’d caught a bug. He’d make a token visit to medical in the morning, but for now he was in shock…_  
_…Chuck turned to find his father looking at him. He stood up and shoved aside any guilt he might be feeling, which wasn’t much. “Hydraulics are shot. We need to replace them.”_  
Herc wasn’t looking at his son. “He’s ah, he’s grounded Mako.”   
_“Good.” Chuck responded immediately. He didn’t want his best friend in a conn-pod. She didn’t need to be in one until she could learn to reign in that rage. He knew she_ could _do it, but not with the has-been. “Well that’s half of the right decision, but I want Becket off this mission more than I do her.”_  
_Herc switched off Chuck’s music and stared into the middle distance for a moment. Chuck barely controlled a growl and marched over to his father. “I was listening to that.”_  
_“Not right now.” Herc growled, and shut it off again._  
_“Excuse me?” Chuck asked, incredulous._  
_“I don’t even recognize you, mate. Who are you?” Herc demanded, tone weary underneath the anger._  
_Chuck reared back a bit. “Who am I? What do you mean?”_  
_Herc shifted suddenly to actual anger, looking up the couple inches into his son’s eyes with undisguised disgust. “You’re a great Ranger, that what you wanna hear?” He shook off the look. Chuck saw his father’s eyes shift, his tone exasperated. “Everyone knows that.”_  
_Chuck stayed in his father’s face. He was used to his father’s anger, used to him being disappointed in him outside the drift. “What more do you want me to be.”_  
_“A better person!” The sound of Herc Hansen actually raising his voice, startled Chuck. Usually his father was all about the calm, silent anger that broke you down like water eroding rock. Chuck was the one who blustered through, channeling his sister whenever he got angry so no one would see any real emotion underneath the swagger. Chuck flinched in the face of this new bout of anger._  
He flinched but didn’t back down. So that’s how it is, _he thought. He tried not to smirk or snarl at his father and his face landed somewhere in between. Suddenly he was disappointed in Herc. “A better person?” He whispered, dropping his tools and walking off. He stopped suddenly, and turned, determined to have this out. It wasn’t often he and his father let anything real pass between them outside the drift._  
_“You know what, at least you can’t blame yourself.” He said to his father’s back, surprised at the wavering emotion in his own voice. He controlled it and went for his father where it hurt. “Cause you didn’t raise me to be anything. You know after Mum died, I spent more time with these machines than I ever did with you.”_  
_Chuck shut his mouth as the quiver returned to his voice again. Herc didn’t turn around and Chuck could feel the hurt rolling off his father’s shoulders. “And the only reason you and I even_ speak _anymore, old man, is ‘cause we’re drift compatible.” Herc dropped a subtle nod, clenching his jaw against Chuck’s aimless rage. Chuck couldn’t stop himself now. “We’re good at smashing things, you and I.”_  
_Herc turned, finally. Chuck almost stopped at the look of pain on his father’s face. Almost._  
_“But you know what, we don’t even need to speak at all. I’ll catch you in the drift, Dad.” He spat out, suddenly knowing that Charlotte would be on the phone within minutes asking what was wrong._  
Herc watched his son go, and started following him automatically. The rigid posture and fury of Chuck Hansen cleared a path through the busy Jaeger bay…  
_…Charlotte picked herself up off the mats. She’d flat refused Stacker’s order to come with him to the Icebox for its decommissioning. Instead Tendo and her father went, a dangerous thing since there were only five Jaegers in service. The Marshal punished her by sending Mako after her, going so far as to put his daughter on a flight from Hong Kong to Sydney. Charlotte found herself still unable to refuse the younger woman when she demanded anything and some sparring in the Kwoon seemed an easy thing. She was wrong._  
_Mako waited for Charlotte to settle in and then launched at her again, narrowly containing the fury just under her skin. The woman’s technique was flawless and she tied Charlotte in points most of the time, but Charlotte always earned her points when Mako lost control of that temper._  
_The women sparred for close to an hour before they stumbled off the mats, ready to collapse. Quick swigs of water and a few moments to catch their breaths brought their heart rates down. Charlotte lifted the hem of her tank top to wipe sweat off her brow._  
_“Why did you refuse?” Mako asked quietly._  
_Charlotte took a moment before answering. “I don’t think I can ever go back there.”_  
_Mako studied her friend and former teacher silently. “I do not understand.”_  
_“Will you ever go back to Tokyo?”_  
_“Not without good reason.” Mako said, frowning._  
_“Exactly. Your father knows my reasons.”_  
_“But you defied an order.”_  
_“Yes I did. I respect Stacker as my commanding officer, but this is too much. I’m barely hanging on by a thread here Mako. You’ve seen my readouts from that last drift test. I’m no good to anyone if I lose control. If I went to Alaska, I’d disappear and go after Raleigh. I’m not sure any good would come from me finding him either. I’m not sure it wouldn’t break me.”_  
_Mako went quiet, chewing on her lip and looking resolutely away from her friend. Charlotte noticed her silence and turned to face her._  
_“What’s wrong?”_  
_“Nothing.” Mako said quickly, obviously lying. She recovered, though, and turned to face Charlotte. “I think, perhaps, you are stronger than you think. But you are right. If you think this would break you, then you should stay away. I think you are wrong, though.”_  
_“Thanks, Mako.” Charlotte smiled softly at her._  
_Mako didn’t smile back. The next morning Charlotte boarded a flight to Alaska convinced she wouldn’t survive the trip with her sanity intact, but willing to do her job nonetheless…_  
_…The Kaiju alarms went off, bringing Vice-Marshal Charlotte Hansen to a halt. She passed her sleeping toddler over to her assistant and changed direction. Arriving in LOCCENT, she surveyed the Vladivostok Dome’s Jaeger bay with practiced calmness. Cherno, the last remaining Jaeger in the dome, was waiting for deployment. The Kaidonovskys practically slept in the Jaeger these days._  
Maria Feodorovna, the LOCCENT Chief, took her place at the displays and opened comms to Cherno Alpha. Sasha was singing A Hare Went for a Walk _under her breath. The nursery rhyme tugged at Charlotte’s memories of her mother singing songs at bedtime. The Russian woman of course picked a nursery rhyme that would prick at the barely healed wounds most of the Dome’s personnel. Their bunnies would not be returning alive. Nor would the Kaiju once Cherno deployed._  
“Ostavil otkalibrovan.” _Maria said shortly, her attention already drawn to the Kaiju’s tracking signature._ “Pravo otkalibrovan.”  
“Ponimal.” _Charlotte answered. “Rangers, KM-24 is on a bearing for Petropavlosk-Kamchatskiy. ETA four hours. You will hold the miracle mile off the coast.”_  
_“Category, Vice-Marshal?” Aleksis asked. Sasha kept humming the nursery rhyme under her breath._  
_“KM-24 is a Category III, Ranger Kaidonovsky.”_  
_The Jaeger Bay roof opened and Cherno Alpha lifted off, disengaging from the harnesses that kept the Jaeger stationary in the Dome. There would be no scenic walks for the Mark I today. The Jumphawks would barely have time to drop the Jaeger in Avachinskaya Guba before the Kaiju arrived._  
_Still listening to Sasha sing about bunnies, Charlotte settled in to oversee her Rangers’ deployment. She wanted back out there, wanted to fight this war in a Jaeger rather than boardrooms. But she would probably never pilot again, excepting an emergency. Even then, she wasn’t sure if she and Chuck were still compatible. Not after Taurax. Not after she started keeping secrets from him…_  
_…Raleigh rounded on Charlotte and clenched his fists in an effort to keep from hitting her. “How dare you.”_  
_“I’m right.”_  
_“So what.”_  
_“So, it was your bloody idea to go after that boat.”_  
_“Of course it was! But you know what, Charlotte? He_ agreed _with me. We made the decision_ together.”  
_“And it cost me both of you!” Charlotte shouted at him._  
_Raleigh’s eyes widened and his jaw clenched in fury. “Oh, because this is all about you! Fuck you, Charlotte. I lost my_ brother. _What would you have done, huh? If it was you and Chuck against Knifehead?” Charlotte didn’t answer him, already regretting this fight. “Exactly. You would have done the same fucking thing. And you still might. That’s what this is all about isn’t it? You’re afraid that you’ll have to make a decision like that and it will get you or Chuck killed. Well guess what?”_  
_Charlotte looked up at Raleigh abruptly as he got into her space, wrapping strong hands around her arms. They studied each other for a long moment. Finally seeing something in her eyes, Raleigh continued. “Even if the Breach opened again, even if you two made a stupid ass, brave decision to save a boat and Chuck died…”_  
_Raleigh trailed off, obviously haunted by the thought. “Even if he died, I’d still forgive you. And that’s the problem here, Charlotte. I’d forgive you in an instant. He’s everything to me and if I lost him tomorrow in a Jaeger and you came back I’d do everything I could to help you._ But you won’t forgive me.” _…_  
_…Chuck slammed the door to his bunk in Charlotte’s face. He’d just lost four friends in Sydney Harbour. He and Herc had come in and smashed Mutavore, doing what they did best, but not before the Kaiju took down Vulcan and Echo with a viciousness that was entirely unexpected._  
_Charlotte had been on the phone with the UN from the moment the sensors revealed the Kaiju’s destination. She’d forced her pilots to prepare for deployment, but Striker wasn’t ready. Echo and Vulcan went out, with tentative UN approval and Striker was still hanging in the Dome, waiting for the J-Techs to undo the decommissioning work they’d just begun. By the time Mutavore broke through the wall, she was ready. Herc and Chuck calibrated the drift faster than they’d ever done before and still the UN kept them from deploying._  
_Echo Sabre went down and Charlotte politely told the UN to go fuck themselves. Then, without warning her father and brother, she hit the button for the big drop herself, engaging Striker. The drop disoriented the Hansens, but they shook it off and nearly shattered the Dome’s foundations as they piloted their Mark V into a full run inside the Dome, desperate to get to a floundering Vulcan._  
_They didn’t get there in time and then spent four and a half hours battling Mutavore through downtown Sydney. Every time they landed a hit, the Kaiju disappeared behind a building or threw vehicles and debris in their direction. Finally, they cornered the bastard and hit it with the rockets. The Kaiju went down fast, but not fast enough. Not enough to save Werner and Saori. Not quick enough to save Chris and Hogan._  
_“Chuck, let me in.” Charlotte asked from the other side of the door._  
_He didn’t get up. Didn’t move from his spot on his bed, Max curled up next to him. Charlotte didn’t know his door code. And it would take a bit for her to find out. He didn’t want to see her. Not when she’d show him that mask. The carefully controlled facial expressions that told him she didn’t want to share everything with him. He didn’t want to see the look on her face when she realized he hated her for it…_  
_…Charlotte watched Chuck and Raleigh roughhousing in the Jaeger bay from her perch in LOCCENT. She was supposed to be listening to Tendo and the Kaidonovskys plans for the Mark VI. Instead she was watching her brother fall in love with Raleigh Becket. She wasn’t happy about it._  
_“You agree, Charlotte?” Tendo’s voice cut into her thoughts._  
_“Huh? Sorry, Tendo, zoned out for a moment there.”_  
_“I’ll take that as a sign we need a break.”_  
_“Yeah, just send me the updated information, I’ll look at it over dinner.”_  
_“Sure thing.” Tendo was already swiping and typing away on a tablet. Sasha and Aleksis disappeared._  
_Charlotte turned back to look at the Jaeger Bay. Raleigh and Chuck were out of Medical three weeks now. In that time, the friendship that blossomed in the enforced close quarters of their room was cemented. The two pilots didn’t spend all their time together, they each had duties in the Dome that kept them occupied, as well as copilots and family members that took up a good chunk of their time. But any task they could do together, any free moment, they were in each other’s company._  
_The Vice-Marshal turned away from the sight. She’d spent the entire time on eggshells with Raleigh. Chuck noticed, he always noticed. Months ago, she’d told Mako that finding Raleigh would break her. She’d gone off and done her job anyway, managing not to leave Anchorage as she helped her father and Stacker shut down the Icebox. But it was a near thing._  
_Then Stacker disappeared for three days and reappeared in Hong Kong with Raleigh. She felt betrayed. Her tightly wound control began fraying at the edges. She could feel herself slipping, her PTSD symptoms returning by degrees. Soon she’d be at her wit’s end and it was all because Raleigh was simply_ here. _Watching her brother fall for him made it all worse. She felt the need to protect him from the inevitable heartbreak. Everything in her screamed whenever Raleigh smiled at Chuck. All she could see was the passive torture she and Yancy inflicted on each other, then the brief moments of happiness before his death. Before he and Raleigh made a stupid decision and Yancy was taken from her. All she saw was a future where Chuck would end up broken like her. She knew it wasn’t rational, but she couldn’t stop thinking it..._  
_…Chuck watched his sister berate some poor recruit. He caught Mako’s eye and smirked. The young woman rolled her eyes but barely contained a chuckle. She didn’t quite disguise it though because Charlotte looked up from the body on the mat to yell at Mako. Then she turned her head to see what Mako was looking at and saw her brother._  
_Charlotte quirked an eyebrow and dismissed the class. Chuck stalked towards her, waving Mako off. Standing next to his sister he noticed the differences between them now more than ever. It wasn’t just the rounded belly that showed her pregnancy. She was still wiry and muscular in a lithe body. Chuck, on the other hand, was starting to bulk up. His hair was also getting darker, the flaming ginger of his early years turning auburn. Charlotte was forever caught in a halo of dark red fire. They were both taller than Herc now, but Chuck was finally starting to take after their father rather than Angela._  
Chuck realized that it wasn’t just the physical differences he noticed. Charlotte would normally have broken into a wide smile at the sight of her brother. Now she was simply staring at him as if he were one of her cadets. He could feel this mask slipping onto her face as if it was slipping over his own…  
_…Angela Hansen snuck up behind her children as they played one of their many video games. She tackled both of them to the floor and began a tickle fight that left both children breathless._  
_“Mum, stop!” Diana shouted._  
_Charlie wheezed on the floor next to his sister. Angela dove back in, delighting her children to no end. They were still wrestling around when Hercules Hansen arrived home, still dressed in his fatigues. By this time Diana and Charlie had teamed up to pin their mother down, tickling her mercilessly. Herc watched the scene for a moment and then swooped in to pull Diana up. Angela took the opportunity to scoop up Charlie and both children whooped in glee as their parents swung them around._  
_Charlie ended up wrapped up in his mother’s arms and he tangled his own arms around her neck. She nuzzled his cheek and squeezed him tight. “Love you, Charlie.”_  
_He snuggled in close and whispered it back…_  
_…Charlotte tucked Charlie into her bed and then set about creating a pallet on the floor out of her sleeping bag, blankets, and stuffed animals. A whimper from her brother, who would never admit that he still ran from nightmares and to his big sister at eight years old, drew her attention back to him. She gently snuggled into her bed next to him, pulling up her favorite stuffed animals and another blanket. Charlie let her wrap an arm around him and settled into sleep. Charlotte dozed off next to him, ready to wake up again. Her brother’s nightmares never went away at just one._  
_She woke a while later to her mother pulling a blanket up to her chin. She motioned for Charlotte to be quiet and sat down on the floor next to the bed._  
_“When did he come in?” Angela whispered._  
_“About one.”_  
_“Has he settled?”_  
_Charlotte nodded gently. Angela pushed the long bangs out of her daughter’s face and leaned in to kiss her forehead. Charlie whimpered again next to her and rolled over. He opened his eyes and reached for Angela. She stood up and climbed into the bed. Charlie pulled his sister close and fell asleep again with both of them snuggled close._  
_Never able to sleep when her brother was upset, Charlotte stayed awake for a long while. Angela stroked her children’s hair, dozing off herself. Charlotte watched them both. As much as she was her father’s daughter, it was her mum who kept them all going. Angela held them together with smiles and a wicked temper that kept her husband in line and made her children rethink any stroppy behavior. She could slip into any role required of her and loved her family fiercely. Charlotte loved her mother. The only thing she loved more was her brother._  
_She also knew her parents were fighting. Angela wanted Herc home. The military wanted Herc in Afghanistan and Iraq. Herc wanted to be home, but he was obligated to the RAAF. Nights like tonight, she realized that her mother might actually take on generals and win. It didn’t seem that anything could keep Angela Hansen down when her family was involved. Charlotte knew that as long as she had her mother, she’d have home…_  
_**…No more, Chuck. Please…**_  
Distantly, Charlotte registered the tightening of her brother’s grip on her hand.  
_**...Let’s go home, then…**_  
__**…Home…**

 

Chuck returned to reality slowly, his hands shaking. Next to him, Newt was frenetically bouncing around his sister, pulling electrodes off her skin gently. Caitlin Lightcap leaned over him with a pen light testing pupil dilation. Satisfied he wasn’t abnormally affected by the intentional RABIT, she too started removing electrodes. 

“How’d we do, Doc?” Chuck rasped. 

Lightcap paused above him. “You were under for five hours, Chuck. There were significant fluctuations until the end, but you were perfectly aligned with each other. Every variation happened in tandem. How were things on your end?”

Chuck glanced over to Charlotte. She was sitting up, rubbing her temples. Her skin was an unhealthy ashen color and she looked ready to puke, but her eyes were perfectly focused. She looked better than she had in weeks. Chuck cleared his throat. “We went farther than Alice in bloody Wonderland, but I think we’re gonna be okay. You gonna sign off on us piloting?”

Lightcap stepped back studying both of them. “I think I might. Can’t keep you two out of a conn-pod after all. It’s your home.”

Chuck snapped his attention away from his sister to Lightcap. “Yeah, home.”


	32. Just One Mistake Is All It Will Take or Don't Fear The Reaper

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Originally posted 14 October 2017. Fully edited and beta'd by 2 January 2018. (Kept original Author's Note.)
> 
> So I tried to time this posting with the premier of the new trailer. That failed. Life got in the way. 
> 
> But Holy Jaegers, Batman! That trailer. I may or may not have (I totally did, much to the embarrassment of my Beta, his girlfriend, and my roommate) had a moment where I nearly fell out my seat in the theater when that trailer popped up before Blade Runner 2049. Incidentally, that movie is gorgeous, glorious, and magnificent. The original was one of those foundational movies for me that shaped my whole nerd trajectory as I got older. 
> 
> Anyways, that fucking trailer. I'm so excited. And also tempted to change the outlined ending of this story. I have been threatened by my Beta if I do so. He doesn't scare me, much. But I shall hold firm. 
> 
> This chapter went through several versions, and one long whiskey-fueled argument on format, before I settled on what you see before you. It has been trimmed down from an eight-thousand word rambling monstrosity. Last chapter's long foray into memories aside, I'm not a fan of the ten-thousand plus word posting. I try to be more concise than that. I don't usually succeed, which is why my Beta is a wonderful person, who loves me dearly. 
> 
> This chapter also broke my heart a little. I wrote this character in with the express intent of this outcome happening. I did not expect to enjoy them so much. But I am amassing a series of plot bunnies and one-shots to post after this story is done, so this isn't the last we'll see of this person. 
> 
> This chapter also has two titles, because it elicited two very different responses from me and is told from two very different points of view. 
> 
> Also, I have linked the inspiration for our Kaiju and some Spanish translations at the end. 
> 
> So without further ado, Allons-y!

\-----July 5, 2024-----

**1930 HRS, Sydney Shatterdome, Sydney, AUS**

Herc jogged next to his son, dodging other running personnel, as they made their way to LOCCENT. Stella heard the alarms first and got herself packed up and, with a quick kiss to her grandfather and uncle’s cheeks, set off into the halls to the bunker. Charlotte was still in Vladivostok overseeing the repairs on Cherno after its battle with KM-24 in April. The four-year-old was frighteningly capable of taking care of herself when her family was off fighting monsters. 

Chuck was actively ignoring his father. Herc yelled at him the day before last for letting Stella climb into Striker’s legs as the pilot worked to replace some of the hydraulics in their Jaeger’s knees. In hindsight, Herc knew damn well that Chuck would never let anything hurt Stella. While she may not have been exactly safe, she was in good hands and Chuck wouldn’t let her into anything really dangerous. They ended up fighting about more than just Stella and Chuck spent the past two days not speaking to his father. 

The Hansens padded silently into LOCCENT, Chuck bristling as his father’s shoulder brushed against his. LOCCENT Chief Marina Dvorak was already tied into the comms of Vladivostok, Hong Kong, Anchorage, and LA. The sound of three LOCCENT operators, Vice-Marshal Hansen, and Marshal Pentecost echoed in the room as they coordinated the deployment of Chrome Brutus in LA and Matador Fury in Honolulu. The Kaiju was already tracking towards the US West Coast. Marina glanced over her shoulder and opened Sydney’s comms to join the fray. 

“Vice-Marshal Hansen and Commander Hansen reporting in.” Herc said, catching Stacker Pentecost’s attention on one of the many screens powered up in Dvorak’s station. 

“Package contained, Herc?” Charlotte asked, her face appearing on a screen to Marina’s left. 

“She’s already in the bunker.” Herc answered his daughter. 

Stacker Pentecost’s cool voice interrupted them from Hong Kong. “Rangers, I want Cherno, Crimson, and Striker ready for deployment. Insurrector is the largest Category III we’ve ever seen. Matador Fury and Chrome Brutus will engage first.” The Marshal’s eyes flicked to a screen on his end. “Tendo, I need more data. What are you receiving from the sensors?”

“Dvorak, Maria, you two can confirm this. I’m clocking it Insurrector as at least sixty meters long and over three thousand tons.” The other two LOCCENT chiefs chimed in with their agreement. “It’s not very fast either, big bastard.”

“Tendo.” Marshal Pentecost barked. “Get to the point.”

“Yessir.” Tendo’s eyes flicked across his station, making contact with his audience across all of the screens. “As I said, Insurrector is big. It’s been out of the throat for forty minutes now and hasn’t hit Wake Island yet. It is headed East for sure, no deviation.” The LOCCENT Chief paused, his eyes landing on the seven pilots watching him. “I recommend we deploy a further two Jaegers to back Brutus and Matador up, Marshal. This guy looks like something straight out of a Toho movie.”

Herc’s eyes latched onto the clench in his best mate’s jaw. “Recommendation noted, Choi. Striker and Crimson are closer. Rangers, suit up. I want you in transit by the time the Kaiju passes Midway.”

The Weis and Hansens both snapped out quick acknowledgements. Chuck performed a perfect about face, Herc pausing only to nod at his daughter as she wished them luck. As he jogged to catch up with his son, Herc felt every one of his nearly forty-four years. He was still in perfect shape, able to knock everyone but Aleksis Kaidonovsky to the mats in the Kwoon. It wasn’t the physical years weighing on him, though he had noticed they did. No, what weighed on him was the toll of twenty-five years as a soldier, eleven of those years spent losing his children to a fight he wasn’t all that sure they could win most days. 

“Oi, Old Man!” Chuck shouted in his face, poking him hard in the sternum. “Whatever is going on in that head of yours stops now.”

“Don’t call me that.” Herc growled. He followed Chuck into the ready room, already pulling his head around to the upcoming fight. Any mistake would get them killed. 

**\-----0130 HRS, Langham Huntington Hotel, Pasadena, CA, USA -----**

Frantic knocking woke Jazmine Becket from a deep sleep. She rolled herself up and out of the bed, grabbing for the jeans and steel-toed and shinned boots she kept ready next to the bed. Pulling on the pants and shoes she ambled towards the door, opening it to find Jose Segura readying himself to knock again. 

“Jesus, it is one-thirty in the morning. This had better be important.”

“Activity in the Breach, Jazzy.” The scraggly-haired man grinned in her face. She really loved the wizened Spanish man’s absolute joy at the prospect of dissecting a Kaiju. 

Jazmine opened the door, letting the middle-aged man into her room. She shuffled around, hunting for her sleeveless flak jacket and gloves. She never showed up on site without her ‘uniform.’ Hannibal had his suits, shoes, and those ridiculous glasses. Jose had his bald patch and leisure suit. Jazz opted to look like Tank Girl, though she didn’t shave her head. “Category?”

“Three. But it’s a big slow one, boss says it won’t be here for hours. PPDC are already sending another Jaeger our way if it bypasses Hawaii.”

The young woman glanced at the map on the wall of her room. “It will. They’re aiming for population centers on the mainland. Goddamned monsters know we aren’t at full strength.” 

Jose glanced sharply at her. He was the one who fired the first shot at the cultists stringing her up in Clawhook’s skull years ago. He and the boss were there overseeing the drilling into the beast’s spinal cord when they caught the crazy bastards about to kill the young runaway. Hannibal took her in, made her part of the crew, but it was Jose who taught her, clothed her, fed her, and occasionally hid her from nosy PPDC Rangers. Jazmine was smart as a whip, and even though she protested her similarities to them, she wanted to fight the Kaiju just like her brothers. 

“You’re sure?” He asked her. 

“I am. It will swim right past Hawaii. There’s almost nothing there anymore anyway.”

“Boss says ETA is 11:00.”

Jazmine grimaced. Jose opened the door for her and they made their way through the halls where the LA branch of Hannibal Chau’s crew was already rousing themselves and preparing for the onslaught of another Kaiju. Jazmine reached the elevators and turned to face Jose. 

“I’ve got a bad feeling about this one, Jose.”

Jose Segura never had children. Jazmine was the closest thing to a daughter he would ever have. He placed a gentle hand on her shoulder, feeling the tension there. “You can still go to Hong Kong with me, kiddo. You know the boss wants you there now that the Wall is almost finished. It’ll be the only open port soon.”

The doors opened onto the lobby of the old Langham Huntington Hotel, revealing the even more frantic sight of LA’s black market Kaiju trade. Pieces of bone twenty feet tall were propped against the walls, men in aprons and masks drilling into them. Vats of pungent ammonia reeked from the far corner where skin lice swam in the liquid. Several people ran up to Jose and Jazmine looking for quick orders, Jose waved them all off. 

Jazmine looked out over the people and made her way to the entrance where she could see the nearly completed Wall towering over the beach twenty-five miles away. She was struck, as always, by the idiocy of the project. If her brothers in a specially constructed Kaiju killing machine couldn’t keep Knifehead down, then the Wall was nothing more than a straw man, waiting to be crushed. 

“It won’t get through the Wall. None of them have yet.” She said anyway. Some days she could still hope. 

“But it will get past the Jaegers.”

Jazmine glared at him as two armored jeeps pulled up to carry them into Los Angeles proper. 

**\-----1345 HRS, Conn-pod, Striker Eureka, in transit to Los Angeles Shatterdome----**

Six hours into the deployment, Herc was ready to lose his temper. His and Chuck’s drift was fluctuating significantly for the first couple hours, necessitating Herc’s angry muting of all their outgoing comms so he and his son could shout at each other some more. They raged at each other in silence after that, hurtling insults, terrible memories, and images at each other through the drift. Then Tendo broke through to say that the Kaiju was completely bypassing Hawaii and Matador Fury was on its way to redeploy alongside Chrome Brutus on the still-incomplete Wall of Life in Los Angeles. 

That news blew all the fury right out of their sails. Herc grumbled an apology to his son, one he truly meant, and busied himself monitoring the progress of the ship carrying them and their Jumphawk squadron across the Pacific. Chuck retreated behind some mental walls and refused to speak to his father or even acknowledge his presence. 

“Rangers, status update.” Marshal Pentecost’s voice broke the Hansens’ enforced silence. 

“ETA one hour, sir.” Herc responded, starting to feel the long hours as Striker crossed the International Dateline, moving backwards in time. He’d already been awake and moving for close to twenty-four hours, Chuck too. The exhaustion would catch up with them soon. 

“Matador Fury and Chrome Brutus have engaged Insurrector at Venice Beach.” There was a significant pause, long enough for Chuck to start punching buttons to switch Striker’s HUD around to show the footage. Herc frowned as he heard the Jumphawks powering up outside Striker’s conn-pod. He also felt the jolt of the ship’s motors kicking up too. “It is not going well, gentlemen. Lieutenant Barnes assures me he will have you there in plenty of time to win this, but I warn you, things are about to get rocky. He is going to push the Jumphawks as much as possible.”

Herc glanced at his son. “Understood, sir.”

The footage appeared on Striker’s digital windscreen and Herc grit his teeth. Insurrector was pushing Matador and Brutus back behind the unfinished sections of the Wall. Tendo was right, the big bastard did look pretty much like Godzilla. (1) The two Jaegers and the Kaiju danced around scaffolding and the remains of the once thriving boardwalk. Its tail was just as deadly as Godzilla’s too, swinging mightily into Chrome Brutus’ right leg and buckling the knee joint. The Jaeger hobbled away, escaping the Kaiju’s flailing fists. 

Herc felt Chuck’s elation as Matador Fury ripped off several spines from Insurrector’s back. The smile faded from his and Herc’s faces as the monster reacted viciously, beating Matador Fury across the head as Chrome Brutus tried to raise itself up on a busted right leg. The Mark III tried desperately to right itself, realizing they couldn’t, Flint and Amarok armed their plasma cannons. The sight and sound of the cannons spinning up drew Insurrector’s attention away from Matador and it lumbered towards the disabled Jaeger. It reached out, prepared to rip off Chrome’s arms but found both cannons buried in its chest instead. 

Chuck moved to tie into the battle net, to open their comms and Herc batted his hand down. He’d heard too many pilots die over the comms, he’d watch, out of respect for his friends and fellow Rangers, but he couldn’t listen to their screams any more. Matador Fury danced out of the way, retreating tactically and putting the incomplete Wall between it and Insurrector. 

The Kaiju bore down on the crippled Jaeger and received point blank hits from both of the Jaegers plasma cannons. Chrome Brutus emptied its clips into the Jaeger’s chest, the only thing they could aim at, and Herc thought for one second that they may have killed the bastard. Then Insurrector swung its spiked tail and flipped the Mark III over. The Kaiju roared silently on the screen and stomped down hard on the conn-pod. Chrome Brutus’ head crumpled under the blows. 

**\-----1350 HRS, Anti-Kaiju Bunker, Culver City, Los Angeles-----**

Jazmine Becket tracked the fight between the Jaegers and Kaiju. Chrome Brutus went down and Jazmine flinched. She tensed up, ignoring everything around her as the other Mark III took on Insurrector singlehandedly for twenty long minutes. She saw the glint of plasma cannons warming up and Matador Fury broke away, putting a half dozen city blocks and its downed comrade between it and the Kaiju. 

The bright flash of plasma firing repeatedly into Insurrector blurred her vision for a few moments, but when it cleared, the Kaiju was still upright and now stomping in the head of Chrome Brutus. Jazmine swiped a tear off her cheek. Ilisapie Flint had spent a good chunk of time with the youngest Becket on the one visit Jazz took to see her brothers in Anchorage before she ran away. The female pilot treated Jazz like a little sister, letting her escape to the Ranger’s quarters when Yancy and Raleigh’s duties took them away. Jazz sent the pilot tchotchkes occasionally through the years, knowing the woman would keep her brothers safe in battle. She continued after Knifehead in the hope that they gave Ilisapie a connection to the world she fought for. 

The loud roar of Insurrector drew her attention back to the fight. Matador was leading the raging, bleeding Kaiju on a merry chase through a rapidly crumbling Los Angeles. The Mark III was piloted by two ex-cons and as such fought dirtier than most other Jaegers. There weren’t any standard techniques for the Kaiju to learn from Gonzales and Lopez. 

“Jose! Get everyone into the bunkers. The fight is headed this way.” Jazmine barked out, confident the older man was already following her orders. He may be older and control the crew with an iron fist, but Jazmine was the boss. She was incredibly ruthless and dissected people as easily as she did Kaiju guts. Jose pleaded with her to follow him down but Jazmine refused. She swung her binoculars back up and watched the Mark III dancing around the Kaiju like a bee, reaching in for devastating, stinging blows. 

Her phone pinged and Jazmine opened up the holo-screen to find Hannibal Chau’s grumpy face frowning even harder than normal. “Jazmine Becket, _what_ are you still doing above ground?”

“Tracking the fight.” She snapped back. “They were holding steady at the Wall. Saw no reason not to have the crews ready.”

“Well now they’re moving and Jose tells me you won’t follow him down. What are you trying to prove?”

Jazz frowned, eyes trained on the massive figures moving closer. “I’ve got nothing to prove.”

“Exactly, get your ass in that bunker, kid. That is an order.”

“But…” She started to argue, but the look on Chau’s face silenced her. “Alright! I’m going.” 

Chau studied her for a long moment before pulling his ever-present glasses down and really staring at her. “You’d better get moving. I want a full rundown of the harvest the second that bastard goes down.” 

She flinched under the weight of his glare, never quite used to seeing the scarred eye and its cloudy judgment used against her. “Yes sir.” Chau nodded and hung up. 

Jazmine stayed aboveground until she could smell the lubricant leaking from Matador Fury’s hydraulic joints and Kaiju Blue blood drizzled down into her hair. Every time she had a chance to get this close to the fight, she did. She understood what drew her brothers in, the power at play here. Even now, as the Jaegers fought losing battles all over the Pacific Rim, she felt the pull of the fight, its brutality. 

She didn’t lie to Chau. She didn’t have anything to prove. No, what she had was a glimpse at humanity battling against the odds and pulverizing creatures from another world. She had a front row seat to the end of the world every time a Jaeger went to war with a Kaiju. She didn’t understand how anyone could resist watching it. 

**\-----1432 HRS, Culver City, CA, USA-----**

Striker Eureka dropped down four stories as the Jumphawks disengaged the clamps holding it aloft. Insurrector turned at the sound of nearly two-thousand-tons of rabid, Australian Jaeger landing amongst the rubble of Culver City’s long-abandoned movie studios. 

A quick swing of the Kaiju’s tail had the Jaeger dancing out of the way with speed only the Mark V possessed. Inside the conn-pod, Herc swung in his harness, reaching blindly for the controls that would arm Striker’s chest rockets. They’d need them for sure. He was already mirroring Chuck’s swing with his right hand, punching the Kaiju in the head with a vicious right hook. Chuck’s mind was racing, alongside his own, as the Hansens surveilled the wreckage around them. Matador Fury appeared exactly where they weren’t expected and tackled the Kaiju, scoring long gashes down the beast’s back and drawing its attention away from the Mark V. Herc grunted in disbelief.

Julian and Ariel had been fighting the bastard for nearly five hours now. Their Jaeger was missing its left arm and limping badly on the same side, but the Mark III was still upright, still rebelliously holding the Kaiju back from decimating the city. Chuck opened comms and barked out an order for the Mexican Jaeger to get out of the way. 

_“¡Aguas!”_ (2) Came Julian’s reply as the Kaiju refused to rise to Matador’s bait. Insurrector righted itself and swung its muscular tail at Striker again, knocking the Mark V off kilter. Herc grunted with the force of the blow, he and Chuck managing to stay on their feet only through sheer stubbornness. 

The Kaiju immediately turned on Matador, raining down punishing blows on the Jaegers left side. The right arm swung up to block the attacks, completely ineffectual in the face of a raging Kaiju. Insurrector shoved the arm out of the way and pulled a chunk out of Matador’s middle. The Jaeger went down like a puppet with cut strings. 

_“¡Cabron!”_ (3) Ariel’s voice choked out across the comms. 

“Matador! We’re coming!” Chuck shouted. Herc was already starting to run, leaning forward to barrel into Insurrector’s side. Striker managed to knock the Kaiju aside, pushing it into a nearby building. Chuck tried to turn back for the fallen Jaeger but Herc forced him to keep eyes on Insurrector. 

The kaiju shook itself, casting off debris, and backed off a step. Herc chanced a look back at Matador. The Jaeger’s plasma cannon was spinning up, but it was badly damaged and electricity shot all the way up Matador’s arm. Herc could hear Ariel and Julian screaming inside the conn-pod. Chuck let out a gasp of frustration. 

“Striker, on your six!” Tendo’s voice shouted through the comms. Herc and Chuck whipped around in enough time to block Insurrector’s tail as it lashed through the air towards them. They deployed their sting blades and dug them deep into the tail, twisting and dodging until the Kaiju’s chest was pointed straight at Matador Fury. Chrome Brutus did quite a bit of damage in its final attack. Insurrector struggled in Striker’s iron grip, trying desperately to escape. The Mark V held firm. The plasma cannons could do more damage to the Kaiju than its own sting blades and Herc didn’t want to resort to using the rockets until he was sure Insurrector would stay down. Chuck grunted as the Kaiju writhed away again and both Hansens locked down tight on the monster’s arms. 

Matador Fury unloaded the last of its remaining clip into Insurrector’s chest. The Kaiju roared in rage and pain and ripped its tail in half escaping Striker’s grip. The Mark V stumbled and sliced at air instead of the beast’s back, now drenched in toxic blue blood. Insurrector leapt into the air, despite its size and imbalance, and bore down on Matador Fury. Striker jumped in after it, but too late. 

“Matador Fury down.” Tendo’s voice reported as Herc growled in the conn-pod. He and Chuck latched onto their rage and, in perfect sync, began pummeling the Kaiju with their sting blades. Insurrector staggered back, its massive feet stumbling over small buildings. 

**\-----1547 HRS, Anti-Kaiju Bunker, Culver City, CA-----**

Jazmine listened to the battle raging above her with passionate disinterest. She and Jose were already planning out the harvesting teams for Insurrector after Striker Eureka took the bastard down. They felt the ground shake as Matador Fury fell, spotters all over the city radioing in updates to the Culver City bunker. The fight was getting closer to them. 

_“Joder!”_ (4) Jose exclaimed as bits of the bunker’s roof fell through from the impact. Jazmine spun around to watch the fight on the bank of screens to her right. 

Insurrector landed on Matador Fury, the force completely caving in the far corner of the bunker. Hydraulic fluid and Kaiju Blue began leaking in through the cracks in the ceiling as Jazmine barked orders for everyone to escape. She stayed, watching the fight unfold. Every blow landed by the Kaiju was devastating.

Matador Fury disintegrated under Insurrector’s fists. Striker was already reaching in to pull the Kaiju off, but it was too late. The final blow buried the remains of the Mark III’s head into the rapidly collapsing bunker. Jazmine felt something big glance off her shoulder and looked around in shock to see the Jaeger’s head lolling off its shoulders and staring at her. She was transfixed by the sight, wondering with morbid curiosity if the pilots were still alive and screaming inside the crushed metal. 

Suddenly, she heard an almighty series of explosions, and dropped to the floor. Jose was screaming at her from across the room, begging her to move, to run. She couldn’t. She crawled under a heavy steel table and motioned for him to go. The screens flickered on and off, footage of Insurrector taking Striker’s K-Scunner rockets point blank playing across them. 

Jazmine knew the fight patterns of every Jaeger, knew Striker utilized the rockets when they couldn’t beat a Kaiju into submission. The rockets were the last ditch effort. The Hansens only used them when they couldn’t stop the Kaiju without extensive collateral damage. Using the rockets meant that Striker was preparing to completely decimate its opponent, regardless of the human cost. Hearing the last rocket explode hundreds of feet above her head she knew what would come next. 

The stomping footsteps and roars of Insurrector shook Jazmine to her bones. She crawled out from under the table and climbed up the wreckage of Matador Fury until she could see to the surface. Sunlight and the dust from pulverized concrete made her eyes water. She stood atop the Mark III and waited. 

**\-----1552 HRS, Culver City, CA-----**

Herc snarled at the sight of the Kaiju before him. The monster took the full bore of the K-Scunner rockets point blank and was still standing, swaying and uncoordinated, but standing nonetheless. He felt the utter, exhausted rage of his son begin to overwhelm him through the drift and let loose an actual roar of his own. Next to him Chuck flinched, imperceptible to anyone but his father, but brought his fists up. 

Striker Eureka took two almighty swings at Insurrector. The sting blades sliced through an already damaged neck. The left hit severed the Kaiju’s spinal cord and then the wide swing of the right separated Insurrector’s head from its body. The Jaeger swung so hard that it spun in place, ending up in a half crouch with its right fist holding the Mark V up.

Insurrector’s body faltered as its head flopped down to the streets below. The massive creature’s claws seized up and then crumpled down on top of Matador Fury’s ruined bulk. A fine cloud of dust and debris shot into the air and Herc felt the ground shake from the impact. 

Twisting back to look down at the finally dead Kaiju, Herc sighed. Chuck panted in his harness and glanced at his father. Then movement caught both their eyes. The Kaiju and Matador Fury had landed on a subterranean space. People were streaming out of what looked like a bunker. 

“Holy fuck! I hope everyone got out of there.” Chuck breathed out. 

“Anyone who didn’t is dead now.” Herc answered, already scanning the sky for the Jumphawks that would take them to the harbor and transport back to Sydney. People were already swarming over the Kaiju’s corpse. PPDC personnel attempting to secure the Mark III and harvesters ready to sell every bit of the monster that nearly killed them.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> (1)Kaiju Inspiration: Obscurum by Bracey100  
> https://bracey100.deviantart.com/art/Kaiju-Commissions-Obscurum-458764075
> 
> (2) Look Out!  
> (3) Bastard  
> (4) Fuck!


	33. I'll Find My Own Bravado/ Cause We'll Be Alright, We'll Be Alright

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Originally posted 19 November 2017. Fully edited and beta'd by 2 January 2018. (Kept original Author's Note.)
> 
> Good evening my loverlies. I've made changes to this chapter. Why you ask? Because my Beta and I, bless him and his obnoxious attitude, decided we weren't completely on board with most of it. He also posted it for me as I was swamped at the time it was completed. As such you received none of my usual notes, aren't you sad? 
> 
> Most of the changes are inconsequential, this is one of my beloved filler chapters after all, but we did move some characters around. (Mostly because I did not like where they were, it was too obvious and ridiculous. My Beta disagreed. There were arguments over a bonfire and many s'more supplies were sacrificed to the pagan gods of writing and fan-service. I won in the end.)
> 
> Then I got distracted by life and the other story I've been working on for well over a year now. That one will be posted en masse as a completed work. I'm already to 125,00+ words here and that story dwarfs this one. It is also in a completely separate fandom. But it called to me and I wrote seven chapters for it. Seven. It was ridiculous. 
> 
> But back to PacRim. The end is in sight. I'm officially aiming for 45 chapters now. They are all blocked out and only four of them are not outlined. I might finish by Christmas. (Just joking we all know I won't. Not without proper motivation and a few bottles of Jameson or Glenfidditch 12 for lubrication. Yes. I consume hard liquor while writing. Can you tell?)
> 
> I did not like this chapter. Now I do. I hope you like it better as well. 
> 
> Also, if you lot are American, enjoy your impending holiday. Yes I know it's based on colonialism and genocide (and a lot of other not good things, I wrote my thesis on those things). But food, football, and booze are never a bad combination. Happy Thanksgiving.

\-----May 15, 2025-----

**0236 HRS, Ranger Quarters, Seventh Floor, Hong Kong Shatterdome**

Raleigh jolted awake, cold sweat running down his back as he sat up. He ran a hand down his face and sighed. Next to him, Mako shifted in her sleep. She reached out for him blindly and, despite being dead to the world, dragged him down roughly. The ghost drift really was a marvel sometimes, Raleigh thought, as Mako practically crawled on top of him. He ran a hand gently through her hair as her warmth seeped into him, chasing away the chill from the nightmare. 

In five years, the only full night’s sleep he’d gotten were those early days after Pitfall when the docs had him drugged six ways to Sunday. Since he’d begun sharing a bed with Chuck, and Mako on occasion, the dreams had lessened considerably, but he still woke up at least once a night. Despite Mako’s presence tonight, though, the memories rearing their heads during his sleep were getting worse. Raleigh knew it was because Mako wasn’t the person he wanted to burrow under the covers with. But Chuck… 

Raleigh sighed and tried not to go down that path. Eleven days of near radio silence from the other Ranger was finally taking its toll. Herc assured Raleigh that everything was fine. Hell, Chuck told him as much before he and Charlotte bugged out after their marathon drift. Lightcap had them under for six hours in four marathon sessions, forcing them to RABIT and confront the deepest parts of their subconscious minds. She’d done the same with Mako and Raleigh, but they didn’t have the shared trauma Chuck and Charlotte ignored on a daily basis. Mako had the same darkness in her soul as Raleigh, but they could wrap that darkness up in the comfort they provided each other. He’d never had anyone get that close to him, not even Yancy or Charlotte. 

The Hansen siblings didn’t or couldn’t do that for each other, not anymore. Charlotte spent too many years locking her problems away without anyone to help her. Chuck spent too much time as an angry kid stuck inside his father’s head and fighting a war that did everything possible to destroy his family. The two of them rabbited too far down the hole and paid the price. Chuck came back to the bunk after their last session, packed a bag, kissed Raleigh and held him close for a few moments, then disappeared with Charlotte. Only Herc knew where they were. Mako dragged Raleigh into her room that night and that’s where he’d stayed since. 

The Academy construction finished two days after that. Raleigh spent the next nine days running himself into the ground with Quan and the other instructors, forcing himself into exhaustion. Mako wisely chose not to comment on his obviously unhealthy coping mechanisms, but he could see it in the pinching around her mouth every time she showed up to feed him or drag him back to the Dome. Each time she stopped herself from commenting, he felt the distinct stab of frustration through the ghost drift. 

“Go back to sleep, Raleigh.” 

He tensed at the sound of Mako’s voice. She’d accused him of thinking too loudly more than once, it seemed that he’d woken her up doing it this time. 

“Sorry Mako.”

“Would it help if I told you that they’ve done this before? The Marshal used to tell stories.”

“Yes? No? I don’t know.” He hated how defeated he sounded. 

Mako raised her head up and looked down at him. “This behavior is what Charlotte was afraid of, you know. This is part of the reason she didn’t want you involved with each other.”

Raleigh frowned and closed his eyes. “Yeah, I get it. We got together too soon and there’s too much respective trauma for either of us to engage in a healthy relationship. My therapist said the same thing two days ago.”

“And you broke a punching bag after he did.” Mako propped her head up on his shoulder and looked at him until he held her gaze. “I disagree with him though, you two are good for each other. I think your feelings for each other make healing easier. Neither of you has ever had someone to share with, not like this. There are things you cannot share when your drift partner is family. The Marshal approves, too. He thinks you and Chuck-kun are good for each other. Having you around has brought the old Charlotte back as well.”

“I love you.” Raleigh breathed out, some of the tension leaving him with her frank assessment and encouragement. “I don’t say that enough.”

“Yes you do.” She chuckled a little. Mako pressed a kiss into his neck and settled against him. “I love you, too.”

“What am I supposed to do, Mako?”

“I do not know. I have never been in love before.” She answered him, a little sadly. Raleigh looked down at her instead of at the ceiling. 

“Want my help fixing that?” He teased. 

“No!” She yelped, digging her fingers into his sides and tickling him mercilessly. They wrestled for a few minutes until Mako, predictably, pinned him down. 

“You can let us go, Raleigh.” She said softly, soothingly. “We won’t disappear. We care too much about you.”

Raleigh choked up at her words. 

“He will be back. He and Charlotte need time. They have to find themselves again. It is like you and me. We needed to find each other. He needs her. But he needs you too. He won’t leave you.”

“You really are the best, Mako.”

“I know.” She said smugly and pulled on him until he pillowed his head on her stomach. Mako ran her hands through his hair, relaxing him into a doze. As she felt him easing into sleep, she frowned a bit. She often had to remind herself to listen to her own words after comforting her drift partner. 

\-----May 21, 2025-----

**1445 HRS, New Jaeger Academy and Training Grounds, Beijian Dao, Victoria Harbour, China**

Raleigh stood at the top of the stairs in the shiny new, but still practical and industrial, atrium of the Jaeger Academy. His assistant, a frighteningly adept woman named Angie, hovered nearby bossing around the last of the construction crews. She appeared ten days ago, reassigned from the Vladivostok Dome, and ready to help Raleigh with every aspect of his new job training recruits. 

Angie was fantastic. Near his age and beautiful, she commanded whatever room she walked into, ready with a smile or deadly glare whenever needed. She swooped in to help Raleigh scramble through the final days of construction on the little island without Chuck there to help him bully foremen. Seventeen days without a word from his, whatever he and Chuck could call themselves these days, and Raleigh was ready to pull his hair out as he and Quan attempted to organize the chaos. A pair of extra hands, also trained to be a Ranger, was the best help Raleigh could have asked for at that point. He’d already arranged for Hannibal Chau to deliver a case of some super expensive Swedish vodka to her quarters on opening day. 

Raleigh tapped away on his tablet, answering questions from returning and new instructors, Quan, Mako, and a litany of other people who suddenly needed his opinion on everything from paint colors to weapons layouts. He looked up occasionally whenever Angie raised her voice to a particularly obtuse person. Raleigh paid attention at these moments because he wasn’t unconvinced that Angie wasn’t mind controlling the idiots. They always walked away perfectly willing to do whatever she wanted. 

He was so distracted by the chaos around him that he completely missed all six feet of Hercules Hansen coming up the stairs in front of him. He remained unaware until the Marshal clapped him on the shoulder and startled him enough to nearly drop his tablet. 

“Oi, steady on there, mate.” Herc said, laughing as Raleigh tried to contain himself. Max and Lucy, Raleigh’s omnipresent companions sniffed around the Aussie, tails wagging. “Hello there, Max. You’d better be behaving yourself.” 

The bulldog promptly dropped and rolled over, demanding a belly rub. Lucy, much more dignified than her companion, plopped her butt on Herc’s boots and refused to move. Herc obliged both dogs and Raleigh tried not to laugh. The Marshal was so unnervingly nice most days, it was easy to forget he was the most decorated Ranger ever, and that the infamous Hansen temper did not lie solely with his children. 

“Marshal, what brings you to this slice of paradise?” Raleigh finally got himself together enough to ask. 

“Oh, nothing too important. Checking on progress, is all.” Herc said, now surveying the stream of people throughout the main building. Raleigh tried not to look suspicious. The Hansens were, collectively, terrible liars. 

“Well, with Angie around, things are actually ahead of schedule as far as construction. Quan is handling the instructors. I’m busy with everything else.”

“What about recruits?”

“I’m not touching applications until Chuck gets back.”

Herc looked sharply away from his Ranger at that. “Might be a while. When’s opening day?”

“June thirtieth, at least it is right now. If your kids keep on this walkabout for much longer, we may push it back.” Raleigh didn’t even try to modify his tone. _Seventeen days_ with nothing but a text or picture here and there assuring him that Chuck and Charlotte were alive put him a bit on edge. He’d figured out they were back in Australia from the background of the pictures. But neither of them were ever in frame, so he had no idea how they were actually faring. 

“Strewth, Raleigh.” Herc broke down. “I know where they are and that they’re alive. But whatever soul searching they’re doing is not on a schedule.”

“True, but you could order them back.” Raleigh pushed.

Herc snorted and looked away from Raleigh. “Right, cause that would go over so well.”

“See, that right there is why the two of them don’t respond to you. You don’t know whether to be the soldier or the father.” 

Herc frowned at him. “No use griping at me, mate. I’ve been a shit father. Believe me I know it. Don’t point that anger at me, Ranger.”

Raleigh visibly slumped. “Yeah,” he started, rubbing the back of his neck. “You don’t deserve that. Sorry, Herc.”

“It’s apples, mate. I know you’re worried. I’m worried. But you’re right, I could order them back. I probably should. Any longer and whatever bonding they’re doing will end up with something or someone on fire.”

The Ranger chuckled, self-consciously, and regained a bit of the cocky attitude that’d been creeping back in over the last few months. “I’m surprised you haven’t had to bail them out of jail yet, honestly.”

Herc grinned. “Luckily for us, they aren’t close enough to any kind of civilization for that. Now, tell me how you’re really doing.”

Raleigh seriously considered lying, but he knew that Herc knew him well enough at this point to spot the bullshit. “I am a wreck. You’d think being by myself for five years would’ve made this easier, but…”

“Say no more. Take a break. Mako says you’ve been working yourself to the bone. If Miss Angie here is as good as you say, she can handle things for a day or two.”

“I’ll take that under advisement.”

“Good. I’d rather not make that an order.”

Raleigh chuckled as Herc clapped him on the back again. The Marshal walked away, the newly updated kill count on his bomber jacket drawing the curious eyes of passing construction personnel. Raleigh shook his head, the jacket belonged to Chuck. Herc missed his kids too. 

“Angie! Hey, you got a second?”

The brunette strode over, confidently, trailing foremen and other quasi-important people. She was in a mood, her thick New York accent slipping out from behind her carefully cultivated mid-Atlantic tones. “What’s up, boss?”

“I’ve been ordered to take a break.”

“Bout damn time. What do you need me to do?”

 

\-----May 24, 2025-----

**0115 HRS, K-Science Lab 2, Sub-Level 3, Hong Kong Shatterdome**

Newt Geiszler looked down at the man sleeping on his couch with fondness, and a healthy dose of confusion. He liked the guy, no lie, but it wasn’t like he actively sought to spend time with Newt. No one did really, well, except for a certain Ranger, but Newt definitely wasn’t going to think about that. Not with this guy camped out on his couch and tucked under the vintage Kaiser Ghidorah blanket he kept there for catnaps. Eventually curiosity, and concern, got the better of him and he bent over to gently shake the Ranger awake. 

“Hey, wake up man.” Raleigh Becket jerked awake immediately and groaned. Newt smiled. “Hey, you weren’t here when I left four hours ago for babysitting duty with Hermann. So you got at least three hours of sleep, which I’m guessing is a long stretch for you. Not that I’m, like watching you or anything, but I’m assuming since you’re down here on my couch and not curled up with Mako that you’re having more trouble than usual sleeping. Speaking of, why aren’t you curled up with Mako. She seems like she’d be a good cuddle partner. Not that I think about that or anything. But you two are drift partners, and you’re closer than any pair I’ve ever seen with the whole touchy-feely stuff, so I assume there’s a lot of cuddling in your bunks. Of course I’m forgetting that Chuck is your _significant other_ , he seems less cuddly, more glompy. Is that a word, glompy? I don’t care it makes sense. Kid seems like he’d wrap you up like an octopus and not let go. Mako seems like she’s the stroke your hair til you fall asleep type.” 

“Newt.”

“Then again, I could be wrong. I mean, _Hermann_ is a cuddler. That man will snuggle up next to you the second he drops off. I only know that because of the weird three-way drift we did with Baby Otachi. That and all the time I’ve spent around him since the kid was born. He and Vanessa tend to just collapse wherever and snuggle once the little tyke is occupied. Whoa, that means the Precursors know that Hermann likes to cuddle. Ha! That, that is just wonderful. I never thought of that before.”

“Newt.” 

“But back to you, what are you doing here? There’s like ten other places I’d expect for you to go if you were having trouble sleeping. I don’t mind you racking out on my couch of course, I consider you a friend and _mi_ sofa _su_ sofa and all that.”

“Newt!” Raleigh shouted.

“Yeah? Oh, sorry. I promise I am working on that. Mako’s been helping me meditate.”

“I know. It’s part of why I’m down here. She trusts you, and well, we both have a very small number of people we trust.”

“Oh, that’s, that’s fucking awesome. I am not going to even try to be humble about this. I’m beyond honored, but damn. That’s just really fucking cool. She trusts me. I mean I knew we were friends, but _trust.”_

“Newt.” 

“Shutting up now.”

The silence lasted for about thirty seconds as Raleigh sat up and refolded Newt’s blanket across the back of his couch. It truthfully was one of the most comfortable pieces of furniture Raleigh ever encountered. Sometimes it really was strange the tidbits you picked up in the drift. He had a distinct memory of Newt forcing Mako to take a nap on this very couch in the Vladivostok Dome after a marathon week of repairs on all twelve of its Jaegers two and a half years ago. 

“She does trust you, you know.” Newt spluttered and quickly found about ten different places to look other than Raleigh’s smug face. “You’re probably the only friend she has that talks to her about anything other than Jaegers and Kaiju, including myself.”

“Her pop culture knowledge is surprisingly broad considering, well, everything. Still doesn’t explain why you’re down here instead of your bunk.”

Raleigh grinned. “I needed a quiet place to get some sleep where I knew the only person to find me wouldn’t be bothered.”

“Oh.”

“Oh.”

“So, this means we’re friends? I mean I kinda made friends with your drift partner by getting punched in the face.” Newt stilled, like a deer in headlights, “please don’t punch me in the face.”

“It does, and no punching. I promise.”

“Good. Good. Good. That’s great. Well, I feel kinda shitty for waking you up now.”

“No worries, three hours is about my max lately anyways. Mind if I hang out down here for a while?”

Newt glanced around at the specimens Chau delivered that week and then down at his tablet where he had about fifty emails open. “Not at all. I’m going to be elbow deep in that spleen over there after I finish keeping Hermann’s life together. The kid is not conducive to paperwork.”

“Need any help? I’ve become surprisingly good at paperwork these days.”

“Well,” Newt started, already running through his massive mental checklist. “Yeah, actually, you can. I’ve got about a million applications from scientists all over the world that Hermann and I are supposed to be hiring and I could use an outside opinion on our short list. Cause Hermann and I are _us_ and we need people who won’t mess with our dynamic.”

“I can do that.”

“Excellent,” He walked over the dividing line and grabbed Hermann’s long unused tablet from its perpetual position on the charging dock. He powered it up, logged in, then passed it over to the more alert Ranger. “Read through those. Let me know what you think.”

\-----

Two hours later, Mako wandered in, dressed in one of Chuck’s t-shirts and a pair of Raleigh’s boxers. Both were comically large on the petite woman, but the look on her face made Newt think twice about laughing. She studied her drift partner for a long moment. Raleigh was stretched out across a couple of crates on Newt’s side of the lab and providing a running commentary on the K-Science applicants. 

“Newt, this guy seriously listed an ‘encyclopedic knowledge of Dr. Gottlieb’s work’ on his CV. I really don’t think he’s talking about Hermann either. Oh, but these two, they look interesting. They’re twins, from some unpronounceable former Soviet Republic. They want to run a full genomic analysis on the Kaiju to determine how they’re made so we can anticipate the Precursors’ next stage in Kaiju evolution. They also have this theory about mutations in the Kaiju Blue survivors. That sounds cool. Then there’s this other guy. He wrote ‘Dr. Geiszler’s unique experiences notwithstanding, he has made several mistakes in his assumptions of the Anteverse and Kaiju development.’ I mean really, he’s basically calling you a liar. Fuck this Dr. Connors guy, he’s like obsessed with lizards too. I mean you’re obsessed with Kaiju, but you respect them and all that. This guy wants to be a lizard. How weird is that?”

Mako laughed out loud at that. Newt couldn’t help laughing along with her. Raleigh looked up at the sound and grinned sheepishly at his copilot. 

“Hey Mako. You didn’t wake up to come get me did you?”

“Yes.”

“Sorry.”

“I was cold.”

Newt flinched. He knew, for a fact, that the pilots weren’t romantically involved, because hey, Chuck Fucking Hansen, but comments like that never failed to ping on everything he’d shoved back years ago. Unfortunately for Newt, Raleigh noticed the flinch. 

“Well, I have to say that the Doc here has some pretty cozy blankets. Maybe he’d let you borrow one. Whaddya say, Newt? _Mi_ blanket _su_ blanket?”

The scientist drew on every ounce of sarcasm and academic pride he had to keep from glaring at the Ranger. “Of course, though I don’t think Kaiser Ghidorah is Mako’s style. Give me half a mo, I know I left it somewhere.” 

Raleigh watched with a barely contained smirk as the man frenetically searched through sealed crates along the far wall. Mako walked over and punched him, hard, in the arm. 

“Ow! What was that for?”

“You are an ass, Raleigh Becket.”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about, Mako.” Newt let out a happy exclamation across the lab, his legs dangling out of a particularly large crate. Raleigh grinned at his copilot and kissed her cheek. “See you upstairs!”

Mako made to stop him, but he was already out the door, leaving her alone with Newt. She tugged self-consciously on her shirt, trying to pull it down. 

“Hey, where did Raleigh go?”

“Back to our quarters.”

“Well, he’s missing out, cause this is like my second warmest blanket. I mean I’d give you my warmest blanket, but it’s with Hermann and Vanessa cause the kid loves it for some reason and I don’t think you’d want me to take a blanket from a baby.”

“Newt.”

“Sorry. Here.” He passed over a bundle of fleece. Mako unrolled it and found herself looking at the classic image of a UFO and the phrase ‘The Truth Is Out There.’ “I hope you like it, it’s super soft and cuddly. I get this cuddly vibe off you, so I think it will be perfect.” Mako clutched the edges of the blanket so tightly her knuckles turned white. Newt blanched and started to panic. “Do you not like it! I can totally go steal my Flaming Lips blanket from Hermann. The kid doesn’t need to know about them for a couple years anyway. It’s completely fine.”

“It is fine, Newt.” Mako choked out. “My father used to love this show. I was not expecting…” 

Newton Geiszler, recipient of six doctorates, snapped his mouth shut. He wasn’t sure what to say. Mako sniffed like she was holding back tears and he reacted immediately. Before his brain caught up, he was hugging Mako, who tensed up at the contact. 

“Newt, why are you hugging me?” 

“I’m, um, I’m not sure. You just looked like you might cry and I think I panicked. Should I let go? I feel like I should let go.” He started to release her but found her arms snaking around his back. 

“It is fine. Thank you. You are a good friend.” Mako said, each word filled with emotion. It was nice to be hugged by someone other than Raleigh or the Hansens. Newt, despite his manic personality and unhealthy love for Kaiju, was her closest friend. She liked that he cared about her. 

“I feel like a bad friend a lot of the time.”

“No.” She pulled away and rolled the blanket up. “You are a good friend. You’ve been there for me every time I needed you. I do not have very many friends who will dig out blankets for me. No one else supplies me with green tea and watches old anime with me. No one else hugs me because they think I _might_ cry. I think only Raleigh knows that I _do_ cry.” 

She leaned up and kissed his cheek. “Thank you, Newt. Good night.”

Newt watched her walk out of the lab and took several moments to touch his cheek where she kissed him. Mako blushed furiously all the way back to her quarters. Raleigh was back in his own bed, valiantly attempting to sleep. She took pity on him and, with her new blanket, crawled in with him. 

“Why are you blushing? What happened?”

“Nothing. Newt is a good friend.”

He pulled her close and tucked the blanket around them. “You’re a terrible liar.”

“And you are mean.”

“I like him.”

“You did not like him before.”

“Before was, well, before. Now, I’ve actually had a conversation with him. And I see how he is with you, how much you like being his friend. I’m allowed to change my mind.”

“I feel like you are giving me permission.”

“Do I need to?”

She snuggled in close. Newt was right, she was a cuddler. “Perhaps. I am not used to such things.”

“Well, you know where to find me when you need advice.”

Mako hummed noncommittally and dozed off to the sound of Raleigh’s heartbeat. He fell asleep moments later, exhaustion catching up with him again. 

\-----May 26, 2025-----

**1300 HRS, LOCCENT, Jaeger Bay, Hong Kong Shatterdome**

Raleigh and Mako flanked Herc, all three in their dress blues, as the press filed into LOCCENT. Twenty journalists were chosen to witness the launch of Yarilo Victor today and report on the progress of Cobalt Endeavor. The two Mark VI Jaegers were specially outfitted as scientific research vessels as well as the recipients of newly improved weapons systems, should the Precursors open a new Breach. 

The two copilots shared a look, the Hansen siblings were supposed to have returned today. Herc ordered them back in time for Yarilo’s launch since they were also to be interviewed as Cobalt’s pilots. Thus far the Marshal knew they were en route, but were still AWOL. Unfortunately, in an attempt to appear “fair and balanced,” they’d had to invite reporters with a history of anti-PPDC sentiment. One of them picked up on the Hansens’ absence immediately. 

“Marshal Hansen, your children are meant to be here as well. Is there a reason former Vice-Marshal Hansen and Commander Hansen are not present?”

The newly minted, and completely itchy in his new dress blues, Vice-Marshal Choi kept his boss from answering by jumping in from his position at the head of LOCCENT. 

“Well, Brigit, the Rangers Hansen are out in the Jaeger Bay overseeing the demonstration today. They will, after all, be piloting the other Mark VI Jaeger and, as such, are working with the Kaidonovskys to iron out the kinks. That is why we have these tests.”

Brigit Summers slumped in her seat and Naomi Sokolov stuck her tongue out at the other woman from her own seat. Raleigh resisted the urge to laugh, but Herc grinned slowly. Tatiana Grigorovich, dressed smartly in a deep green skirt suit, walked up and whispered in Herc’s ear. 

“They just touched down on pad four. I’ll get them ready.”

Herc nodded. “Do you need help moving them along?”

“With the mood I’m sure they’re in, I’m sure I could use an extra set of hands.”

“Ranger Becket, accompany Ambassador Grigorovich, she requires your assistance.” Herc ordered with a significant look to his Ranger. Tatiana smiled sweetly at the reporters, several of whom flinched at the sight. They were the ones who remembered her former profession. 

“Yes sir.” Raleigh responded. Tatiana was already on the move and he marched double time to catch up to her. Her ability to walk so quickly in five inch stilettos never failed to impress him. A quick glance over his shoulder assured him that Mako and Tendo had Herc’s back in the snake pit LOCCENT just became. Max and Lucy were also guarding the Marshal, huffing every time a reporter asked an impertinent question. The dogs were innately tuned to keep their people happy. “Where do you need me?”

“Go intercept the terrible terrors off pad four. I’ll meet you in Charlotte’s quarters with their uniforms in ten. I want them both showered. Chuck will certainly need a shave, don’t let him get out of it. Make Charlotte take a cold shower. I need her alert.”

“Yes ma’am.” They split off down two separate hallways. Raleigh towards the elevator, Tatiana up to the seventh floor to dig Chuck’s uniform out of his closet. 

Chuck and Charlotte, covered in several layers of orange dust from the Australian outback and sporting a collection of interesting bruises and scratches on their arms, found themselves intercepted by Raleigh as they exited the lift. Neither of them was ready for the sight of the man in his uniform. He’d steadfastly refused any interview or event that required it of him after Pitfall, except for their trip to the UN. Seeing him now, with a haircut and a shave, was shocking. 

“Get back in there. We’re going up.” He said before they could say anything about his appearance. Chuck backed up immediately, resisting the urge to touch Raleigh. Charlotte only moved when the older Ranger pushed her back in, reaching around her to press the button for the seventh level. Chuck managed to stay quiet, giving Raleigh a not-so-subtle once over, until they hit the fifth floor. 

“Looking good there, mate.”

Raleigh turned his head and stared at Chuck. “Really? That’s the first thing you’re going to say to me after disappearing for twenty-two days?”

Chuck’s eyes widened at Raleigh’s tone. He’d fucked up. “Um. No?”

“No?”

“No. I mean you are looking good, but the greeting I’d like to give you would not make my sister very happy. Or keep your blues clean.”

Raleigh smirked. Chuck grinned like a maniac. Charlotte groaned. “I hate you both.”

They both snarked back a simultaneous, “no you don’t.”

She thumped her head on the wall. “Are we late?”

“Nearly. Tatiana and I are in charge of getting you camera ready. I’ve been told to make sure you shave,” he pointed at Chuck. “And that you take a cold shower because you need to be alert.”

“I bloody hate her.” Charlotte growled. 

The lift doors opened and Raleigh chivvied them both out and down the hall to Charlotte’s quarters. Much like Chuck and Raleigh’s own, it was a suite and so had multiple bedrooms to choose from. After he ensured, with much grumbling and cursing on her part, that Charlotte was taking a cold shower, Raleigh checked on Chuck. 

He was not expecting to open the door to the extra bedroom’s bathroom and find a very naked Chuck trimming the scruffy ginger hair off his face. Raleigh frowned at the loss of the beard. He was suddenly very interested in it. Chuck finished his task and glanced at Raleigh, then he picked up a, no-shit, straight razor and brush full of shaving cream and handed them off to the other man. 

“Mind cleaning this up for me? I can’t ever get it right.”

Raleigh gulped. He shed his uniform jacket, glad that Chuck was running the shower and it wouldn’t wrinkle in the steam. Then he unbuttoned his cuffs and started rolling back his sleeves. Chuck stopped him and, holding eye contact, finished the job. Raleigh pushed him back to lean against the sink and then stepped in close. 

“Is this the kind of hello you were thinking about?” Raleigh finally managed after he ran the brush along Chuck’s jawline.

“Not really, but it’ll do.” He answered, reaching up to trace a thumb along Raleigh’s own jaw. He smirked. “You cleaned up. Get tired of the scruffy has-been look?”

The razor suddenly appeared level with Chuck’s left eye and he went still. He wasn’t nervous, not by a long shot, but he was certainly wary. He didn’t trust just anyone to come at him with a blade that sharp. Raleigh smirked back. “Mako made me, said I wasn’t allowed to embarrass her. Do you want this all to come off?”

Chuck quirked an eyebrow. Raleigh was definitely upset at the possibility of the beard’s complete loss. “As long as I don’t look like my bloody father with his goddamned five o’clock shadow, I’m open to whatever you want.”

Raleigh grinned widely and grabbed Chuck’s chin to tilt his head. “Whatever I want, huh?”

Chuck laid his hands on Raleigh’s waist and, as the other man pulled the razor away from his skin, jerked him close. They both gasped at the contact and Chuck resisted the urge to nuzzle his shaving cream covered face into Raleigh’s neck. “Whatever you want, love.”

Raleigh stared at him for a long moment before continuing the shave. “I missed you.”

“I missed you, too. If Charlie and I hadn’t been running ourselves ragged in the bush, I don’t think I’d have slept at all.”

“Mako made me stay with her.”

The blade slid gently across Chuck’s top lip, leaving the lightest bit of scruff behind. “Charlie took my phone, otherwise I’d have been calling you every night.”

Raleigh frowned. “Where were you? Those pictures weren’t exactly informative”

“On walkabout, on the Larapinta Trail, near Alice Springs. Scott is north of Braitling at the old Hansen ranch. We stopped there for a few days first and then set out. He’s not doing well. Serves him right.”

“So you went hiking?” Raleigh said, beginning on the right side of Chuck’s face.

“Yeah.”

“How long is this trail?”

“Route we take? Little over three hundred kilometers.”

“Three hundred? That’s what, two hundred miles?”

“Give or take.” 

“How long is it to hike straight through?”

“Almost eighty hours.” 

“And how long did it take you and Charlotte?” He asked leaning around Chuck to rinse the razor in the sink. 

“Six days, one way.”

“Six days back?”

“No. We took eight days to get back.” He stopped to let Raleigh tilt his head up and clean up his neck. 

“Why?” 

“Hooked up with a tour group. They take the slow way back.”

“You’ve done this before?”

“Herc’s father made us do it every summer we went to visit as kids. Insisted it would build our character.” Chuck frowned slightly at the memory of Donovan Hansen. 

“You and Charlotte sort your shit out?” The razor plopped into the sink, but neither man moved as the steam from the shower swirled around them. 

Chuck looked deep into Raleigh’s eyes. “I think so.”

“And you couldn’t tell me you were leaving?”

“Wasn’t exactly in the right mind to do much more than pack.”

“How deep did you two go?”

“All the way to Scissure. More than once. Then into our shared shit from Herc and his holdovers from Scott.”

“Shit.” 

Chuck traced his thumb over Raleigh’s lip, wishing they had more time. “Yeah.”

“She only ever let me see glimpses in the testing we did together at the Academy.”

“I know.” Raleigh was now staring at him, lips slightly parted. Chuck started to lean in for a kiss, shaving cream and time limits be damned. 

A knock broke their focus on each other. Tatiana’s voice filtered through the door. “You had better be shaved and showered Charles Jason Hansen, or I will come in there and supervise!” 

“I’m pushing him in the shower now, Tati!” Raleigh called out, watching Chuck’s eyes again. The Russian woman grumbled from the other side of the door, but left. Raleigh swooped in and kissed Chuck, forcing his lips apart and pouring every bit of frustration into it. Chuck returned it eagerly, not even noticing as Raleigh pulled him away from the sink and towards the steaming shower stall. He stayed distracted until Raleigh reached behind him to open the door and shove Chuck under the stream of hot water. “Clean yourself up.”

Chuck snarled as Raleigh slammed the shower door closed and practically ran out of the bathroom with his uniform jacket and a washcloth pressed to his face, laughing the whole way. He supposed he deserved that. Then he remembered exactly how enthusiastically they peeled each other out of their uniforms the last time, and Raleigh’s fascination with his beard, and smirked. Nothing was going to bring his mood down today. He was home. 

**\-----1400 HRS, LOCCENT, Jaeger Bay, Hong Kong Shatterdome-----**

Herc checked the clock on the wall with a subtle glance. He, Mako, and Tendo had been fielding questions for an hour now. It was past bloody time for his children to appear. Mako looked about ready to pop every time Brigit Summers opened her mouth. The six reporters who’d written the articles about the UN, plus a few of the others, had effectively ganged up to drown the woman’s inane questions out with their own, but she was nothing if not persistent. Herc truly wanted to sic his daughter on her. They had a long history. 

As Tendo deftly answered a biting question from Shi-Shi Li about the future of the Jaeger program and the need for improvements on J-Tech, the doors to LOCCENT opened. Tatiana strode in trailing three Rangers behind her. Charlotte looked like her old self, a disarming smile on her face and a falcon-sharp look in her eyes. Her uniform was crisp and pressed, the blue making her bright red hair look like a malevolent halo as her curls escaped her bun. Raleigh loped in beside her, the cocksure attitude of his early days as a pilot filling up his whole being. The man practically glowed with excitement. Chuck though, Herc kept his face carefully blank as he studied him. His son looked grown-up. He’d always looked a bit older than his years, perils of war, but sporting a bit of carefully trimmed facial hair and a million-watt smile, he looked less like the petulant young Jaeger pilot of six months ago. Instead he looked like a, well, Herc didn’t have the words. But his kids looked happy, and seeing Raleigh with them looking just the same, it made his heart swell. 

The reporters caught sight of the new arrivals and launched into a litany of questions. Tatiana took up position on Herc’s right and gave him a sly pinch on the bum while no one was looking. He glared at her. The four Rangers nimbly navigated every question posed and Tendo finally shut the journalists up as Aleksis Kaidonovsky opened up Yarilo’s comms. 

“LOCCENT, this is Yarilo Victor, ready for full systems test.”

Tatiana shuffled the reporters into a corner as the four Rangers took up position around Herc and Tendo. Raleigh grinned at Mako, who returned it. She was proud of her work on the Mark VI. 

“Yarilo Victor, we copy you. Begin full systems test in three…two…one.”

The Kaidonovskys couldn’t have chosen a more ostentatious paint job in Chuck’s opinion. The Jaeger was gold, with a Russian flag emblazoned across the left shoulder, _gold._ Unlike previous models, the Jaeger’s head was not exposed at the neck, the conn-pod tucked down into reinforced shoulders. The Russian T-90s all looked like walking nuclear reactors, but Yarilo looked like a cross between a tank and Gipsy Danger. Mako certainly had a hand in that. The Kaidonovskys insisted their new Jaeger have an improved version of the Z-14 Tesla fists that had beaten down so many of their enemies. So the Mark VI had reinforced arms and hands, though these were fully articulated, which delivered punishing blows enhanced with powerful electrical shocks. The Jaeger also had rockets embedded in its flared shoulders and the ability to purge its hybrid digital-analog nuclear core. 

“Begin full-systems test.” Sasha’s voice came over the comms. Chuck glanced at their drift readings, jealous once again of the pilots’ connection. He hoped that Charlotte and he could match those numbers as they’d once done. 

Yarilo’s head turned a complete three-hundred and sixty degrees, its lights and horns coming to life as it did so. Then the Mark VI’s shoulders shook and the Jaeger raised its arms. It placed one fist against an open palm and bowed before straightening and warming up its primary weapons. Electricity crackled off of the Jaeger’s fists and its chest lit up with a dangerous orange glow. One of the reporters gasped, no one turned to look at them, but Chuck grinned. 

The weapons powered down as Tendo relayed the success of each systems’ test back to the Kaidonovskys. Chuck glanced at his sister and saw unabashed joy written all over her face. Cobalt Endeavor would be finished soon. Then it would be their turn. 

“Ready for stage two yet?” Tendo’s voice cut through his excitement and Chuck flicked his eyes up to the screen showing the interior of the Jaeger’s conn-pod. Sasha was wearing her shark grin. 

“Da, commencing stage two, LOCCENT.” 

The massive wheeled sled underneath Yarilo’s feet lurched to life and began its journey towards the Jaeger bay doors. Chuck felt Raleigh relax next to him at the sound of the massive steel doors screeching their way open. The sight of Victoria Harbour on a rare sunny day greeted everyone in LOCCENT. Yarilo reached the doors and descended into the waters below. 

“Clamps disengaged. Time to take a walk, Rangers.” Tendo quipped from his station. The Jaeger’s shoulders shook again, this time from the giddy laughter of its pilots. 

Yarilo took one step, then a second, into the harbor. With no warning, the Mark VI fired every engine powering its massive legs and took off running into the deeper water. Chuck gaped. He knew the Jaeger would be faster than Striker, had been involved in its construction from day one, but seeing the speed and maneuverability on display here was awe-inspiring. Every J-Tech in the Jaeger Bay cheered as the Kaidonovskys put Yarilo through its paces. 

Charlotte reached over and grasped Chuck’s hand. Her eyes were firmly on the screens showing the Mark VI in the harbor. But Chuck could feel every bit of unadulterated joy through the ghost drift. They’d always watched the launching of new Jaegers together before she left for the Academy. Nearly a month spent alone together, and the drift reestablished, meant that those memories didn’t spark the same resentment and pain anymore. Chuck grinned and squeezed her hand back. 

He glanced at Raleigh and saw him smiling, really smiling. It wasn’t his subdued smile of recent months that still spoke of pain and loss. No, this smile was hopeful. Mako caught Chuck’s eye and nodded. Whatever frustration Raleigh felt from Chuck’s abrupt departure didn’t hold a candle to this day. 

This was the first step towards their future. Chuck knew deep into his bones that the Precursors weren’t done. They’d reached a stalemate, but the war was far from over. Seeing the Kaidonovskys put Yarilo through its paces as the Jaeger ran through the harbor, reminded him that he was still a soldier. But the joy he saw on their faces from the video feed, that reminded him of the power and determination it took to be a pilot. It reminded him of the losses they’d suffered, everything the Kaiju took from him. With a machine like that under his control, Chuck and every pilot he’d train would be unstoppable. He wasn’t one to tempt fate, but the Mark VI and the looks on the other Rangers’ faces made him certain that whatever crawled out of the Anteverse next would regret that decision.


	34. I Will Not Pretend For You

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the delay guys. I took some time to completely edit the previous 33 chapters. I noticed some glaring discrepancies during a reread and my beta and I had some discussions about a sequel, so some minor retconning for specific characters is happening. Nothing too big, but there were some problems and we're fixing them in light of the new outline we're sketching for when Uprising comes out. 
> 
> Anyways, here is a Stella-centric chapter. This particular scene was going to come much earlier, until i was reminded of my own timeline and that three-year-olds are not the paragon of vocabulary skills. However, there are some impressive videos of me having insanely coherent conversations with people at four. Add that with Stella's enhanced brain power due to the drift, and voila, instant chatty toddler. She;s ahead of all the curves. 
> 
> Also, I got completely distracted by spy movies and shows over Thanksgiving and thanks to the brilliant ScribeofArda's fics, I wrote a nine chapter story in The Man From U.N.C.L.E. universe, because I love me some spies. You guys have no idea how much. It's called the Degas Affair. You should go read it as a palate cleanser to the angst here. It's lighthearted and fun in a way that is not my first inclination. But it's an example of what happens when I'm in a good mood while writing. 
> 
> Thanks for reading guys!  
> Farisya

\-----October 30, 2024-----

**0800 HRS, Judge’s Chambers, Room 42, Owen Dixon Commonwealth Law Courts Building, Melbourne, Australia**

Stella Hansen gripped her grandmother’s hand tight as Georgina Staughton led the four-year-old into the chambers of Judge Ty Lee. The woman was already waiting inside with a court reporter, clerk, and cameras. Stella studied the woman quickly. She was older than her grandmother with graying brown hair twisted into a long braid that hung down across her shoulders and warm tawny eyes. She smiled at Stella and gestured for her to take a seat. 

“Good morning, Miss Hansen.”

“Good morning.” Stella responded quickly. She glanced around for her Grandma Georgie as the other woman had taken a seat behind her granddaughter, in sight of the camera, but not the little girl. 

“Would you like a glass of water or a piece of candy before we get started?” The older woman asked gently, a wide smile on her face. 

“Some water, please.”

The judge stood and poured a glass for Stella, setting it before her on the edge of the desk. 

“Thank you, Miss…um.” Stella trailed off. She didn’t know what to call the lady. 

“You can call me Judge Ty, if I can call you Stella.”

Stella nodded. “Thank you, Judge Ty.” 

Judge Lee waited for the little girl to take a few sips of water and return it to the desk before she spoke again, studying Stella for any signs of mistreatment or maladjustment. The family courts didn’t see a lot of action these days, with a significant portion of the population inland and so many displaced in the wake of the Kaiju attacks. But when they did it was usually for the worst cases of child endangerment and abuse. This little girl looked well cared for, and aside from some obvious nerves, she seemed remarkably well-adjusted. 

“Do you know why we’re here today, Stella?”

“Mum said that the judge who handled her last hearing died in the kaiju attack on Perth last year and his old cases are being, I don’t remember the word mummy used…”

“Reviewed?” Judge Lee supplied, surprised at the girl’s vocabulary. She subtly glanced at her predecessor’s case notes again. Stella Hansen just turned four, but she spoke with the eloquence of someone much older. 

“That’s it! She said that I was going to stay with Grandma Georgie for a couple weeks and that she’d see me soon. Mummy’s friend, Ms. Singh, said I wasn’t supposed to talk to mummy or grandpa or Uncle Chuck while I was with Grandma Georgie. My father tried to talk to me, but Grandma Georgie wasn’t very happy about that.”

Judge Lee smiled gently at the girl. Her father had demanded separation from the Hansens, accusing them of brainwashing and abusing the child. She’d imposed a temporary guardian in the form of the neutral party of Georgina Staughton, as well as ordered a no contact order from both parents and their families while the girl stayed with her grandmother. Finding out that Ian Staughton attempted to violate that order wasn’t a surprise to Ty Lee, he’d been trying to drown her severely limited office in paperwork the last few weeks as he challenged Diana Hansen’s custody of their child. 

“I bet she wasn’t. When did this happen Mrs. Staughton?”

The middle-aged former soldier frowned. “Tuesday last. He came to the flat and she got to the door before me. I shuffled him right off. He didn’t try again so I figured it could wait until today.”

“Hmm. I’d like to have known. But no matter now. I take it things are not good between you and your son, Mrs. Staughton?”

“They are not, ma’am.”

“I’ll take your statements later. Miss Stella, would you like to answer some questions for me and we’ll see about letting you see your mummy?”

“Yes, ma’am.” Stella chirped, looking around to see if her mother was already in the room. She deflated a bit when she realized Charlotte wasn’t there, but perked up when she saw the court reporter turning on a camera. “Am I supposed to talk to the camera? Mummy doesn’t like it when people point those at me.”

“Well, your mummy is watching this right now with her friend Ms. Singh. So I think we’ll be okay.”

“Really? Hi, mummy! I miss you.”

Judge Lee flashed back to her early life in China, those days before she left her family’s business to make a name for herself. She shook off the uncomfortable reminders of her parents and sisters. “Miss Stella, can you ignore the camera for me?”

“Yes, ma’am.” The four-year-old folded herself into the chair with all the poise of a diplomat about to negotiate a treaty.

“Good. How old are you, Stella?”

“Four. My birthday was in July.”

“Where do you live?”

“Most of the time I live in Sydney or Hong Kong. That’s where mummy works most of the time. We spent a month in Vladivostok this year, though. It was very cold. Then mummy took me to Tokyo with Aunt Mako. Then Grandpa and Uncle Chuck picked me up and took me back to Sydney while mummy went to New York. She doesn’t want me to go there. We stayed in Sydney for a long time this year. We just got back from Alaska, it was even colder there. Uncle Aleksis sent me a special coat while we were there. We were closing the Dome. Mummy says it used to be called the Icebox.”

Judge Lee made notes as the little girl talked. “And who do you spend the most time with while you travel?”

“Mummy. She has special places in her offices for me where I do my lessons.”

“What about your Aunt Mako and Uncle Aleksis?” 

“Aunt Mako is Marshal Stacker’s daughter. She has a brother, Jake, he lives in London now. Aunt Mako helps me with my maths and teaches me bushido.”

“And Aleksis?”

“That’s Miss Sasha’s husband. They pilot Cherno Alpha. He says I remind him of his sister. She died a long time ago. He watches princess movies with me and he taught me how to paint my nails.” Stella held up her hands and proudly displayed a chipped but well-executed rainbow of colors on her fingernails. “I can do them by myself, but he said he was going to bring me special polish, so I’m leaving these until I see him again.”

“Is there anyone else who spends time with you?”

“Well, yeah. Grandpa Herc and Uncle Chuck babysit me a lot. Uncle Chuck is really mean about making me do my lessons before he lets me come with him to the Jaeger bay. The techs are really nice to me. They let me help clean things and I got to see how to put Striker’s knee back together last month. Miss Sasha likes to teach me how to do make up, says I must look my best when I become a pilot. Mr. Werner is teaching me German and his copilot, Ms. Saori, she’s helping Aunt Mako teach me Japanese.”

Judge Lee tried not to let her surprise show. She’d only passingly realized that Vice-Marshal Hansen took her daughter with her when she travelled. That the little girl was growing up amongst Jaeger pilots and in a warzone was certainly cause for concern, but fate was not kind to most children these days. This girl seemed to have a stable group of highly motivated, and dangerous, people looking out for her outside her blood relations. She had to interview the girl a bit longer, but Ian Staughton’s request seemed to be nothing more than a scare tactic. There was no way in hell she was removing this kid from her mother’s care. 

\------

Judge Lee had sandwiches brought up three hours later. While Stella ate in the judge’s reading room, she questioned Georgina Staughton. The answers she got were less than encouraging. 

“You’re telling me that he tried to have his child kidnapped by the Japanese government.”

“Yes, ma’am. If Rangers Sama and Mori hadn’t been there to smooth everything over with their home government, I’m certain my son would have had Stella shipped off to New York immediately. Marshal Pentecost arrived with every PPDC lawyer he could find and it took all twelve of them to convince the Japanese government that Stella was not at risk with her own grandfather.”

“And you began divorce proceedings from your husband soon after that?”

“I did. He put Ian up to it after Charlotte convinced the PDC to continue funding the Jaeger program through the end of this year. I found out and did some digging of my own into his other activities. I don’t have any direct proof, or I’d have brought it with me, so this is nothing but hearsay and probably inadmissible, as I’m sure my son’s lawyers are probably foaming at the mouth to tell you right now.” Georgina paused to glare into the camera, knowing the people on the other end were certainly witnessing this unexpected deposition. “But this is my grandchild. I believed my son’s lies four years ago, when he told me the baby wasn’t his. Then again when he told me she got pregnant on purpose to discredit him. I stopped believing him when he challenged her for custody. Anyone could see she was exceptionally well cared for, ma’am. I told him to drop it, he told me that he could do whatever he wanted to make Charlotte lose a step.”

“So the records the PPDC provided on the true nature of his dismissal are correct, then?”

“They are.”

“I think that’s all I need to hear. You can join your granddaughter. My clerk will collect you soon. I’ll render my decision this afternoon.”

Georgina Staughton exited the room with all the grace of a victorious general, which, Judge Lee conceded, she once was. The judge waited for the court reporter to turn off the cameras before turning to look at the other woman. 

“That was not what I expected. Strewth, no wonder that girl always looks so racked off on camera. Charlotte Hansen is what, twenty-three? If I had to deal with kaiju, a kid, and an ex like that, I think I would’ve committed murder by now.”

“What are you going to do, Judge?”

“I think I’m going to punish him.”

\----- **1400 HRS, Courtroom Four** \-----

Judge Lee surveyed the adults before her. Vice-Marshal Charlotte Hansen sat stoically alongside her lawyer, Penelope Singh, while her family and a dozen PPDC personnel gathered in the gallery, glaring daggers at their opposition. Ian Staughton and his lawyer, Peter Abbott, were arguing in heated whispers, ignoring everyone else in the room. 

The doors to the courtroom opened and Georgina Staughton led her granddaughter in by the hand. They took seats in the witness box, away from the others. Judge Lee signaled to her clerk and the bailiffs. She thought some interference might be necessary soon. Two quick taps of her gavel silenced the room. 

“I’ve reached my decision in the matter of Hansen v. Staughton as it concerns the minor in question, Stella Hansen.” Ian Staughton had the audacity to sit forward with a gleeful look on his face. “A veritable mountain of evidence was submitted to me by both parties and it has taken me the better part of a month to sort through it all. Seeing the claims and counterclaims brought before me, I was truly concerned for the well-being of the minor. As you know, I imposed temporary legal separation with a third party guardian in order to satisfy some of the worst accusations made against Ms. Hansen by Mr. Staughton. A case worker met with Stella six times during the fortnight she stayed under her grandmother’s care. In that time, the case worker noticed not one shred of evidence that the girl had been, in any way, mistreated by her mother or her maternal relatives. Nor did the case worker discover any evidence that Ms. Hansen’s work life interfered with the healthy development of this child.”

Judge Lee let that settle in for a moment. Charlotte Hansen still wasn’t smiling, but her brother was openly grinning behind her, eyes full of venomous hate for his niece’s father. “I deposed the minor, and her temporary guardian, Mrs. Georgina Hansen, this morning in chambers. Both parties and counsel had access to this footage as it was broadcast live to you. I’m told that Mr. Abbott has a statement to make.” 

“I do, your honor.” 

“Proceed.”

“The complainant would like to reiterate his serious concerns for the welfare of his daughter. Growing up in the PPDC, in a violent environment, cannot be healthy for any child. He’d like to remind the court that both Hansen children grew up in the Shatterdomes as their father travelled the Pacific Rim. Both Charles and Diana Hansen have well documented emotional instability and several assault charges have been laid against both siblings in a multitude of countries over the years.”

“I’m going to stop you there, Mr. Abbott.” Judge Lee interrupted. “Those charges were all dropped. At least to my knowledge, correct?”

“That is correct, your honor. But…”

“And if I’m reading my notes correctly, Mr. Abbott, all of the charges were dropped because in each case it was clearly a matter of self-defense.”

“That is what the authorities decided, your honor.” Ian Staughton was openly glaring at his very expensive lawyer now. 

“So, you’ve brought these incidents up, yet again, because your client believes that soldiers are not allowed to defend themselves from others who deliberately incite them to violence.”

“No, ma’am. My client believes these incidents reflect a larger problem of character deficiency in the home environment for his daughter.”

“ _Character Deficiency_?” Judge Lee asked slowly. 

“Yes ma’am.” 

“I see. What of your client’s character deficiencies?”

“I’m sorry, ma’am?” Abbott stuttered out. 

“Mr. Staughton, please stand.” He did, Abbott whispering furiously to him as he straightened his bespoke suit jacket. “I received your complete, un-redacted, personnel file from the PPDC three days ago. Apparently I was granted special access in light of your continued legal actions against a member of your former organization. Is there anything you’d like to tell me about the information inside?”

Ian glared at the thick folder now perched on the edge of the judge’s desk. “I’d like to reiterate that any information about my dismissal from the PPDC should be regarded as suspect.”

“There is a note indicating you contest the validity of the testimony provided against you. I assume this is because you believe Ms. Hansen was given preferential treatment as the daughter of a decorated Ranger?”

“You are correct, ma’am.”

“Mr. Staughton, you expect me to believe that the PPDC is so concerned with politicking and nepotism that they’d willingly let personnel lie, repeatedly, and subject them to weeks of disruptive investigation purely to harm your career? I am to believe that they would do this rather than focus on defending our planet from the kaiju incursion?”

“Believe what you will, ma’am.”

“Hmm. Sit down, Mr. Staughton.” He did, now glaring at the judge. The ghost of a smile twitched Charlotte’s lips. “If that’s all, I think it’s time to render my decision. Mr. Staughton’s claim is denied. Furthermore, I’ve received special dispensation from every country the PPDC operates in, as well as several others, to grant an order of protection against Mr. Staughton. Sir, if you set foot within one-hundred-yards of your daughter in the countries listed, you will be subject to arrest and imprisonment. You are not to contact your daughter, nor are you to harass Ms. Hansen about her when the two of you are forced to work together. Is this understood, Mr. Staughton?”

“Yes, your honor.” He bit out behind clenched teeth. 

“Good. I am also issuing a fine against you, Mr. Staughton for frivolous misuse of the court’s time. This fine will be levied at fifteen percent of your monthly income for the next ten years. This money will be deposited with your mother, Mrs. Staughton, in trust for your daughter’s well-being and education. As she is her mother’s dependent, her needs are covered by the PPDC, but if the K-War continues as it is, the PPDC may not be in existence for much longer and your child’s future must be guaranteed. I also name Georgina Staughton as the primary guardian, should the Hansens’ die in the line of duty. Take a long look, Mr. Staughton. You had the chance to get to know this wonderful child and love her as a father should. Instead, you’ve squandered your legacy for political power and petty attempts to subvert the effectiveness of a fellow soldier. Believe me, when I tell you that your daughter will never forget this moment. Court dismissed.”

Judge Lee stood, the courtroom following her example, and made her way out of the room. The bailiffs escorted Georgina and Stella towards Charlotte, leading them right past Ian. He reached out and snatched Stella towards him. The whole room erupted, but Ian pulled the girl into his lap and sat down with her. Charlotte reached out to stop her family from pummeling the man into a pulp. 

“Stella, you alright, love?” Charlotte asked as the bailiffs made their way between the two groups and the court clerk took up a position behind Ian. 

“Yes, mummy. Why won’t you let me go, father?”

“Because I want to make a point with your mother, Stella.” 

“What does that mean?”

“It means, I want to remind her of something and I needed to grab you to do that.”

“Oh, can I go now?”

“Yes you can, darling.”

The four-year-old hopped off his lap and turned to face her father. “You know, father. You’re not a very nice person.” 

“Is that right?” Ian taunted his daughter. 

Judge Lee snuck back into the courtroom to watch the drama unfold. 

“That is right. My mummy says we have to feel bad for mean people because they’re sad and lonely and don’t know how to make friends. But you’re not just mean, you’re a bully. Mummy says that I should stand up to bullies.”

“Does she now?”

“She does.” And with that Stella let fly with a perfectly aimed kick that made her custom made, little steel toed boots crack hard against her father’s kneecap. Ian howled in pain and fell out of his chair. “I’m not supposed to hurt bullies unless they hurt me first. You hurt me. Leave me alone.”

Charlotte scooped her daughter up and vacated the room quickly. Judge Lee ducked back out into the corridor to laugh. She made her way around to the atrium and caught the Hansens and company as they were leaving. 

“Vice-Marshal!” Both father and daughter turned around at the sound of the woman’s voice. Charlotte passed Stella off to her brother who immediately high-fived her for the spectacular kick. 

“Yes, ma’am.”

“I didn’t make my decision based on who you are. I made it because of who you are as a mother. But I know trauma when I see it. You promise me that whatever is happening with you, Stella always comes first. I left my family behind when they couldn’t provide the care I needed. I don’t want to see that happen with Stella.” She reached out and clasped the young woman’s shoulder. “Remember that the only weight you should carry on those shoulders is her. Don’t let the rest eat you alive, okay?”

“Yes, ma’am.” Charlotte said. For once, she meant it. 

“The world is still cheering for you, even when we’re afraid. Don’t forget that, my dear. We all know that the UN is full of it. Walls didn’t stop us from fighting wars with each other, they certainly aren’t going to stop inter-dimensional monsters. Have faith in your family, in yourself, and we’ll win this.”

Charlotte glanced behind her to look at her family. Chuck and Herc were teasing Stella while Mako and the Kaidonovskys looked on. Djalu, Tendo, and Allison stood by, hemming the little group in with fond looks. 

“I’ll try.”

“I’d quote Yoda to you, my dear, but I think a try is all any of us can ask anymore.”

Charlotte watched the woman walk away and pulled out her phone. She quickly dialed the only number she knew by heart and waited. 

“Hello?”

“Gene, it’s Charlotte Hansen. A man is going to show up asking about Raleigh…”


	35. These Are The Last Blues We're Ever Gonna Have

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Holy Holidays, Batman! (Eh. *nudge nudge* See what I did there?)
> 
> Anyways, sorry for the delay in posting this chapter dear readers. My Beta-buddy extraordinaire and I had a very busy holiday season. Family dominated my time, as did work. And my Beta-buddy got MARRIED! I'm so happy for them. She's too good for him. I like her a lot. He's put up with me for thirteen years now, so he was allowed an editing break over the hols to enjoy his nuptials and honeymoon. Did I mention I'm excited for him? 
> 
> Also, I wanted to completely re-read the story in its entirety and compare it to the updated outline that I constructed over the Thanksgiving break. (For those of you who don't live in the States, just remember we have this holiday because of that pesky European colonialism) I do have a problem writing happy scenes and my first draft of Chapter 35 was much darker and took a very different turn than where I wanted it to go. Most of that went away. Most of it. There may be mention of a casual attempt at kidnapping and a subsequent murder in this chapter. But I fully stand behind my decision to leave that bit in, it's too perfect. 
> 
> Then, to top it off, I got sucked back into my long standing Labyrinth fic that is NOT going to be posted until it is finished. I refuse. It has something like sixty chapters at this point. And I'm thirty-five into this one, its bigger than a Cat V, let me tell you. My beta got this back to me tonight and any further mistakes or inconsistencies are mine. And I fully lay claim to the word "heterosexual-ish" from here on out. 
> 
> READ ON MY LOVELIES!!! AND GET READY FOR THE DAMNED SEQUEL. *goes to watch the trailer another five times*

\-----June 13, 2025-----

**1930 HRS, Ranger Quarters, Seventh Floor, Hong Kong Shatterdome**

Mako stood in front of the mirror in her bathroom and tugged on her dress. Raleigh assured her when she put it on an hour ago that she looked beautiful. The soft smile on his face and hand cupping her cheek when he said it led her to believe that he wasn’t lying. But she rarely appeared out of uniform, seeing herself dressed like this, for a party, was making her highly uncomfortable. She fidgeted and ran a hand through the blue and red strands of her hair. 

Chuck waltzed into her bathroom, dressed in a deep blue suit that could easily be mistaken for his uniform. She looked back at her own clothing and realized she was wearing the same color, the cerulean shade of the ocean in twilight. It seemed neither of them could let go of the past completely, nor could they escape the organization which turned them into weapons and pointed them at the monsters that killed their mothers. 

“You ready yet, Mako?” Chuck asked from the doorway. He noticed his friend’s dejected look at her clothing and smirked. “Feels weird, yeah? Being out of uniform. Civvies always give me the heebies. Feels like I’m naked.”

Mako nodded, tugging on the blue fabric again. “I do not know how Raleigh does it. He steps out of uniform and is still the same.”

Chuck pulled her out of the bathroom and shoved her into her desk chair, wondering a bit at Raleigh’s ability to do that himself. It was then Mako noticed the strappy heels in hanging off the fingers of his left hand. She narrowed her eyes at him and then took a significant look towards the pair of comfortable flats sitting in their box on her bed. 

“Oh no, missy. Orders from your drift partner. You are to put these on and like it.”

“Raleigh doesn’t scare me.”

“Well he bloody well terrifies me when he’s in a strop. Which he currently is. This party is fucking ridiculous. Don’t know why dad agreed to it.”

“Because the UN officially signed the paperwork to let us become an independent entity last week.”

“So we should have a rager in the Jaeger Bay and leave it at that. We’ve got shit to do.” He groused, dropping the heels into her lap.

“We have to cultivate new relationships with our host countries now, Chuck. This requires tact and diplomacy. Perhaps you should stay here.” Mako grudgingly began tying the shoes on, hoping that Raleigh picked a comfortable pair. He should know better than to put her in uncomfortable shoes around politicians. 

Chuck smiled at her. “Honestly don’t know why _any_ of us were invited along. Not like Rangers have a particular reputation for maintaining level heads. Didn’t Sasha kick some guy in the face at the last party?”

“That was Christine.”

“Oh, yeah.” Chuck smiled, remembering the completely apoplectic look on his father’s face after that phone call. “Forgot. Some guy tried feeling her up, right?”

“Yes.” Mako answered, grinning. Both of them sobered a bit as they felt the loss of their friends twinge again. The war was over, for now, but its toll would always weigh heavy on their hearts. “I miss them. I miss them all.”

Clenching his jaw, Chuck looked down at his best friend. They didn’t always get along, often resorting to shouting and punching. They had a bone-deep connection, forged in pain and tempered by their training. A friendship that went far beyond the drift. The drift was silence and peace, knowing where you belonged. What they had was a shared understanding that they were unequivocally separate from the world. They understood each other. Chuck hauled Mako up, careful of the imbalance caused by her shoes, and hugged her. 

“I miss them, too.”

They stood in silence, hugging each other, glad that they were both alive, until a knock sounded on the suite’s door. Chuck pulled away first and kissed Mako on the forehead. Chuck pulled away first and kissed Mako on the forehead. She smiled wanly at him then let the steel in her spine straighten her posture. 

“Good girl.” Chuck said, huffing, as she pushed him aside to see who was bothering them. 

A stoic Hercules Hansen stood on the other side of the door, clothed in a black suit that highlighted every inch of his impressive physique. Mako quirked an eyebrow at her boss. If he were anyone other than her father’s best friend and another surrogate father to her, she’d be much more appreciative of the image he presented. Tatiana would be drooling for sure. 

“Sir.”

“You look lovely, Mako. Ready to go?”

She turned to see that Chuck was behind her. The two young pilots shared a look and Herc tried not to grin at them. Parties were decidedly _not_ their strong suit. But they were soldiers and this was just another battle to win. Chuck helped Mako pull on a jacket and neither of them flinched as Herc bestowed them with what could only be described as a “proud father” look of appreciation. 

“Quit looking at us like that, old man. We are not in some trashy 80s prom movie.”

The expression on Herc’s face disappeared with the nickname. Chuck smirked and Mako rolled her eyes. “Alright, you great bloody goog, get your ass moving. Raleigh and Charlotte have already gone over to the hotel. We can’t leave them alone for too long. Tatiana can only do so much, yeah?”

The younger pilots pushed past him and began practically running towards the lift. Herc grinned, they really were too easy to manipulate. 

**\-----1945 HRS, Mandarin Oriental Hotel, Macau, China-----**

The guests arriving to the last remaining luxury hotel within two-hundred miles of Hong Kong gaped at the lengths the management took to host the victorious PPDC. At least that’s how Tatiana chose to interpret the gobsmacked looks on the faces of the diplomats and glitterati arriving to her party. She barely spent a dime of the PPDC’s money on this whole thing too. The Chinese government was all too happy to shove it in the rest of the world’s faces that _they_ never turned their backs on the Jaeger program. The money spent tonight was a drop in the pond compared to what they were prepared to drop on keeping the PPDC in Hong Kong. Tatiana grinned at the thought. 

Across the ballroom, the Kaidonovskys stood in vigilant watch over the two Rangers having a whispered argument. Raleigh and Charlotte faced the windows, overlooking the bay, and, to a casual observer, they probably appeared to be conversing calmly. To her trained eye, however, the tension in their shoulders, Raleigh’s crossed arms, and Charlotte’s clenching jaw revealed exactly how pissed off they were at each other. 

Tatiana sighed. At least when Mako and Chuck fought they threw a couple punches then hugged it out. Raleigh and Charlotte were the reigning monarchs of holding a grudge. She could only imagine how much worse it was when both Becket brothers got involved. A quick frown crossed her face at that thought. She took a large sip of her champagne and chastised herself for thinking that way. Her daughter would have laughed at Tatiana’s maudlin attitude. Sophia loved to make inappropriate comments and observations. Ivan, too, would laugh at her. Then the two of them would accuse her of remaining too much a spy and they’d disappear to play chess. She missed them. 

As it was, Aleksis was silently beckoning her over. Her fellow Russians were not the best at defusing Charlotte and Raleigh’s continued bickering. The two young people simply had too much pain and history between them for a few weeks of therapy to correct. Especially since they’d both spent five years learning how to hide the worst of their pain behind carefully crafted facades. The Kaidonovskys registered her movement and walked towards the bar, leaving their fellow Rangers in Tatiana’s crosshairs.

She gracefully approached the two and took up a solid position between them. “You both agreed to keep things civil this evening.”

“We’re fine, Tati.” Charlotte bit out. 

“Of course you are, darling. This is why Sasha and Aleksis have been glaring our guests away from you for the past twenty minutes. What is it this time? Did Raleigh look at you wrong on the way over? Or did she not smile at one of your stupid jokes?” Both Rangers resolutely ignored her, glaring at the open waters outside the windows. “Ah, I hit a nerve. Good. Raleigh, the man to my eight o’clock is Taylor’s replacement on the PDC. He is a closeted homosexual whose wife is a big fan of yours. He is also an idiot who won’t know if you insult him or confess your undying love. Charlotte, on my four o’clock is the CEO of a French tech company that has made advances on some of the Mark III hydraulics systems. She just left her wife. Both of you will go flirt with these people and ignore each other for the next three hours. Is this understood?”

Charlotte clenched her jaw and nodded. Raleigh turned to look at Tatiana with undisguised irritation. He openly gaped a bit as Charlotte turned and made a beeline to the frankly stunning blonde Frenchwoman across the room.

“Do not look at me this way, Raleigh. Charlotte has played the diplomat for years. She was not allowed to slay dragons, so she slayed people instead.”

“You expect me to do the same?”

“No. I expect you to use that brilliant mind of yours to charm every person you speak to this evening. You are quite good at disarming even the most dangerous of people. Chuck and Mako are prime examples of this. Even Charlotte falls victim to your charms when she is not preoccupied with her pain.”

“So you want to use me. Why?”

“Because it is what I do. I use people’s strengths to make them assets and their weaknesses to make them obey.”

Raleigh glared at her for a long moment before he glanced over her shoulder and smiled winningly at whoever caught his eye. “You know I forget that you aren’t the simpering Jaeger fly you pretended to be years ago. So, I’ll play your game, Tatiana.”

“Good.” He reached out to grasp her hand and brush a kiss across her knuckles. She tightened her grip on his fingers before he could let go. “Remember, Raleigh, she is trying. As are you. I would make allusions to Rome and its construction but that would be the wrong metaphor. Instead I will remind you that there is still value in the ruins, all you have to do is dig for it.” 

Raleigh jolted as her meaning hit him. He cast a long look to where Charlotte was animatedly discussing J-Tech with a shell shocked French CEO. “Thanks, Tatiana. Remind her of that too, will ya?”

“Of course.” Her phone pinged from her clutch and she waved Raleigh off to flirt with the American Ambassador and his wife. The message from Hercules indicated that he had officially sent off the last transport loaded with PPDC personnel, and that he had the final two Rangers strapped into a jumphawk. 

Tatiana smiled to herself. Tonight was going to be enjoyable. Productive and enjoyable, she thought, as she caught sight of her home country’s president and his son. 

**\-----2015 HRS-----**

Herc shuffled the last of the overly excited PPDC members into the ballroom so the stuffed shirts could bow before Tatiana’s wit and will. Everyone who answered to him knew tonight was a big party for their benefit. But, as with anything that involved politicians, some chin-wagging had to happen first. He looked around for his son and Mako and found the two of them propping up a wall and obviously providing a running commentary on the fashion choices of the night. Chuck stood up when he noticed his father coming and Mako stopped laughing to straighten up as well. 

“Alright, you two, time to go in.” Chuck groaned and Mako frowned a bit. “Seriously, you two have faced down interdimensional monsters and politicians for how many years and it’s a party that gets you?”

Chuck and Mako shared a look and then both vigorously nodded. The frantic movement suddenly reminded Herc of several incidents in the two Rangers’ youth. It wasn’t often either of them looked or behaved like the kids they were in the early years of the K-War. Seeing them out of uniform like this, he didn’t see victorious heroes, he saw two fourteen year olds standing before him and Stacker stubbornly refusing to admit that they painted a twenty-foot penis on Crimson Typhoon’s chest. Before either of them could notice the melancholy remembering the past always brought on, Herc shook his head and pulled them away from the wall. 

“Let’s go, Tatiana’s agreed to kick all the stuffed shirts out by eleven. Then we can have a proper celebration.”

The two young rangers allowed Herc to herd them into the ballroom where Tatiana was already standing up on a small stage waxing philosophical about the merits of the Jaeger Program and the necessity of the PPDC as a continued, proactive defense against future incursions from the Anteverse. Herc steered his charges towards the edge of the crowd, letting them remain separate, but obviously in view of all the _Very Important People_ who wanted to congratulate them. 

“Behave yourselves.” Herc commanded before marching off to rescue Hermann Gottlieb from a tech company CEO, who was desperately trying to convince him to leave the PPDC. 

Mako twitched, self-conscious still about the length of her dress and its neckline, but unwilling to adjust it in public. Chuck caught the movement and barely concealed a grin. 

“You’re beautiful, quit fidgeting.”

“You are hardly unbiased, Chuck.” Mako said, glaring up at him. 

“That is true.”

They lapsed into comfortable silence occasionally pointing out a particularly annoying guest with a sly smile and elbow nudge. A waiter appeared and Chuck snagged them both flutes of champagne which they sipped as they moved about the room, deftly avoiding any and all persons who wished to speak to two of the “Heroes of the Breach.”

The thin sounds of a waltz suddenly echoed through the room and the two pilots paused to see who would take to the dance floor first. Neither was surprised to see Tendo Choi pull his wife to the center of the room. The couple waited a beat and then launched into a graceful twirl. Allison once confided in Mako that she fell in love with Tendo on their first date because he took her dancing. She was classically trained and, unsurprisingly, did not get to exercise her skills in a Shatterdome. Tendo figured out her secret passion and decided to reveal some skills of his own. 

Tatiana led a smiling, but wary, Raleigh out on the floor a moment later and Chuck grinned manically at the sight of his lover dancing. The two were having a heated conversation as Raleigh led them around the floor, but they never missed a step. Chuck was _never_ going to forget that Raleigh could dance, _never_. Mako noticed her friend’s manic glee and smiled gently into her champagne. 

Chuck looked down at her, still grinning, a moment later and shrugged at her raised eyebrow. “I didn’t know he could dance.”

“His mother taught him.” Mako stated simply. “She taught all three of them. Yancy always got stuck with Jazmine because Raleigh was too tall. He used to dance with his mother in the hospital…” 

She trailed off, feeling the pain of a memory that wasn’t hers. Chuck reached down to gently clasp her hand and they watched Raleigh and Tatiana spin. The pair were no longer arguing. Instead, Raleigh seemed perfectly content to remain peeved and Tatiana smiled at him with steely resolve. To anyone who didn’t know them, they appeared to be serene and happy. 

Herc stepped onto the floor and tapped Raleigh on the shoulder. The younger man exchanged a wide smile with his commanding officer and then Tatiana and Herc were off, deftly maneuvering around the dozen or so other couples on the floor and drawing everyone’s eye. Chuck couldn’t help the wide smile that broke across his face. His father had been unfailingly careful to keep his relationship with Tatiana out of the drift, rightfully guessing that Chuck wouldn’t have taken it well. But it didn’t take long after the Breach closed for him to figure it out. There wasn’t much that made his father smile like that. Hell, Chuck only _remembered_ his father smiling that way. 

Raleigh stood on the edge of the dance floor, chatting amicably with Newt Geiszler for several moments when Chuck spotted the reason his boyfriend was on edge. Charlotte was on the floor, dancing with one of the Jaeger Academy’s new recruits, a bloke named Lambert if Chuck remembered right. All the new potential pilots were invited to the party as a gesture of goodwill before Chuck and Raleigh set about destroying them in two days when the Academy opened. 

Despite the steps both veteran pilots took to begin mending their tattered friendship, they still ended up in days of icy détente. Chuck’s own issues with his sister and the upcoming launch of their new Jaeger kept him firmly out of the firing line between his partner and Charlotte. Mako found herself dragged in between the two to referee sometimes, but as Charlotte and Raleigh were both rightly terrified of her, it wasn’t an issue. 

Chuck eyed the young man dancing with his sister. He couldn’t be more than eighteen, and he was obviously terrified of his Charlotte. The more sedate waltz had turned into a fast paced quickstep and the kid was having trouble keeping up with his dance partner. Aleksis and Sasha were, predictably, showing everyone up. 

Glancing back at his lover, Chuck sighed. It was time to see what the problem was. Suddenly glad that Tamsin Sevier demanded dancing lessons be included at the Academy, the Australian let his cocksure attitude lead him towards the dance floor, Mako in tow. The two shared a quick look, each flicking their eyes meaningfully towards their targets as they took up position on the floor. Two rotations around, earning some incredibly surprised looks from those PPDC employees who’d never witnessed the two of them dance before, and they broke apart to strategically change partners. 

Mako reached out to pull Charlotte away from the grateful looking recruit. The taller woman glared down at her new dance partner and took the returning glower as the challenge it was. The music changed again, the Kaidonovskys or Tatiana had obviously bullied someone, and the opening strains of “Kalinka” played. 

All of the Russians suddenly invaded the dance floor, much to the amusement of the non-PPDC guests who knew nothing about the traditional dances the rest of the PPDC were subjected to on holidays by all the different nationalities. Tatiana dragged Herc along, shoving him towards the line of dancers opposite her. Mako and Charlotte faced off and with a clap of his massive hands, Aleksis caught the rhythm of the music and began the dance. 

As everyone dropped into deep knee-bends and kicks, leaping across the floor and around each other in a chaotic show of unexpected skill, Chuck dragged Raleigh off into a corner. Once there he kissed the obviously perturbed American until the tension bled from his shoulders and Raleigh found himself panting for breath. 

“What was that for?”

“You looked cranky,” answered Chuck as his hands drifted around Raleigh’s waist to grab his ass. “That look and this suit were reason enough for a snog, don’t you think?”

Raleigh laughed breathlessly as Chuck nosed along his jaw, leaving barely-there kisses. “You’re a shit liar, Chuck.”

Chuck hummed noncommittally and bit down on Raleigh’s earlobe. “But I’m a bloody wonderful distraction.” 

Suddenly, Chuck found himself unceremoniously shoved through a nearby door and into a secluded hallway. Raleigh looked him over predatorily and Chuck gulped. The cocky smile never left his face. The sound of Russian folk music filtered through the door along with the happy chorus of the dancers, but all Chuck could focus on was Raleigh’s heavy breathing as the man stalked him towards the far wall. 

“Ray, love, my dad will bloody murder us if we get caught rootin around in a corner.”

“Who said anything about fucking?” Raleigh asked coolly. “I didn’t. I’m wondering what you’re trying to distract me from.”

The younger man groaned as his back hit the wall and Raleigh’s hands planted themselves on either side of his head. Blue eyes were boring into him and Chuck was hard pressed to remember why he’d dragged Raleigh away in the first place. The clatter of a waiter dropping his tray as he rounded the corner and saw them, solved that problem. The young man muttered apologies in Mandarin and English, then bolted around the corner. 

Chuck reached up and placed a hand on Raleigh’s clenched jaw. “You and Charlie are fighting again.”

Raleigh leaned into the touch, sighing, his hands pulled away from the wall so he could step closer to Chuck. “Yeah.”

“What is it this time?” Chuck asked, drawing the other man closer to cup his face in both hands. “She looked ready to snap out there.”

“She’s nervous about the launch.”

“What’s that to do with you?”

“No idea. She just picked a fight about Mako and I being ready for when Daimyo launches in a few months. I think she’s scared to get back in a conn-pod.”

The Australian Ranger drew the older man in close, wrapping his arms possessively around his partner. “She’s bloody terrified she’s gonna cock it up. Yarilo’s launch was too smooth. She’s worried the designs are too different from Striker for her to handle.”

“Still doesn’t explain her need to pick fights with me.”

“She hasn’t been in a conn-pod in years, love. Last two people who had that much of a gap in piloting didn’t exactly have an easy time of it.”

“Last two people…” Raleigh trailed off, looking into Chuck’s eyes as he trailed his fingers up and down the redhead’s back. Understanding dawned eventually and he frowned. “Mako and I nearly blew up the Dome and Pentecost died.”

“Got it in one,” Chuck intoned. “She’s running from ghosts and starting fights along the way.”

Raleigh pulled away and snarled. He paced the hall a few times, obviously forming a plan. Finally, he rounded on Chuck and softened his glare. “Answer me honestly. Are you okay if I leave?”

Chuck furrowed his brow. “Party’s barely started, love.”

“I know.”

“What’s your plan?”

“Drag Charlie to my room and force her to relax?”

“You know that sounds like you plan on having sex with my sister…” 

Raleigh reached out and pulled Chuck flush against him, hands gripping his hips possessively. “Believe me, Charles Jason Hansen, the only member of your family I plan on fucking is you.” 

Chuck’s eyes widened as Raleigh dove in for a punishing kiss that promised all sorts of wicked things. His hands drew up of their own accord. One fisted into Raleigh’s hair and the other reached between them to squeeze the half-hard bulge currently ruining the line of Raleigh’s trousers. The older man pulled roughly away at the contact and drew a thumb across Chuck’s swollen lips. 

“Satisfied?” The blond smirked. 

“Not on your life.” Chuck grouched at him. He was harder than a steel pipe and knew there was no relief in store for him. “Just go. I’ll make sure Mako has fun. I want Charlie out of your room by the time I get back, though. You owe me the best hummer of my life for this,” a hand gestured down at the tent in his suit trousers. 

Raleigh leaned forward and, without touching him anywhere else, pecked Chuck on the forehead. “If I can move my jaw tomorrow, I’ve failed to make it up to you.” 

Chuck groaned at the thought and shooed him away. Raleigh disappeared into the ballroom again, leaving Chuck slumped against the wall. He stayed there, wondering why he let the other man work him up like this and bemoaning his concern for his sister’s wellbeing, until he could face Mako and her bloody smirking face again. He opened the door to the ballroom to find his father and Tatiana about to go through it themselves. 

“Oh bloody buggering hell,” Chuck griped. His father and the woman he assumed would soon be his stepmother were drunkenly swaying in place, obviously looking for a place to have a quickie. 

“Chuck!” Herc shouted at his son, disentangling his arms from around Tatiana. “My boy, my son, you disappeared. Where’ve you been? Raleigh took Charlie back to the Dome. You two alright? He looked frustrated. You look frustrated. Why are you so red? _Tatushka,_ why is my boy so red?”

Tatiana rolled her eyes and gave Herc a none-too-gentle smack on the cheek. His eyes instantly snapped to her and he straightened up, immediately turning on what Chuck referred to as his “soldier” mode. Herc never brought the war home with him before Scissure, so his kids really only saw their father in full battle readiness when Angela triggered it. Usually, seeing Herc’s focus directed on a woman like this meant that Chuck wouldn’t see his father for hours. Tatiana had total control over Herc at the moment and Chuck was painfully aware that the woman knew it. 

“ _Gerakl_ , hush.” The blonde turned her cool brown eyes on the young pilot before her. “Is everything alright, Chuck? You are very red, _synochek._ ”

“You two are bloody embarrassing.” 

Tatiana smiled slowly. “You are hiding, Chuck,” she said, noticing the flush of his lips and his awkward stance. He _had_ disappeared with Raleigh for quite some time. “But I will leave you alone. Go find Mako, I think she is looking for you.” 

Chuck took the out and pushed past his father to join the crowd. He cursed Mako’s small stature until he noticed a flash of blue skirt across the room. He looked again and saw his best friend looking relieved as Hannibal Chau loomed over her shoulder, obviously glaring at the man standing with them. The Brooklynite’s stupid glasses were tipped down his nose, exposing the damaged left eye. Sensing the impending death of one of the party’s guests, Chuck wove through the crowd until he too was looming over the man. Mako barely concealed a look of malicious glee. 

“Something wrong here?” Chuck asked, feigning a jovial tone. 

The man turned around and Chuck found himself looking into the eyes of a man his age, obviously drunk, and definitely not a member of the PPDC. Apparently the liquor Chuck could smell on his breath meant the guy had no sense of his impending doom, because he snarled and poked Chuck in the chest. 

“Who’re you?” The slurred words were barely decipherable. 

“I’m Chuck Hansen.” 

Recognition bloomed on the guy’s face and he turned back towards Mako. “So you really are Mako Mori? Great. Wanna suck my cock?”

Luckily for the man, one of Hannibal’s security guys stepped forward and hauled the man away before she could put him in the hospital. Chuck held her back as Chau’s men led him out by the scruff of his neck. She was seething in anger. He honestly couldn’t count the number of times he’d had to do this over the years as misogynistic assholes came on to his friend. Most of the time he kept her from splitting her knuckles on the undeserving faces of those involved and the two of them delivered blistering put-downs with their tongues instead. Sometimes though he didn’t hold her back and held the offending pieces of trash still for Mako to punch. 

Hannibal watched his guys until he was sure the drunken asshole was gone then turned back to the young Rangers. He adjusted his glasses back up his nose and still managed to look straight through them both, despite the dark lenses. A quick study of their posture revealed that they were calming down, so he grinned at them. 

“Don’t worry,” he smirked. “My guys will let Miss Li educate him on the error of his ways. She’s running security tonight. She loves dicks like that. Likes to break them.” The large man swiped two glasses of champagne from a passing waiter and pressed the drinks into the Rangers’ hands. “You two go have fun. You deserve it.”

Chau gently pushed both of them away, watching until they found themselves waylaid by that weird Doctor who hung out with Newt, Hermann something. Assured that the two were safely distracted, he made his way outside to join his guys. The drunken bastard wasn’t actually drunk. Hannibal would stake his life on the guy being a Kaiju cultist who snuck in to draw the Jaeger pilots out. He didn’t like that. Not a bit. Jazmine would’ve had his head if he let any of the Rangers get hurt. But that was a thought for another time, when there wasn’t a bit of inventive questioning to be had. 

Mako and Chuck spoke to Hermann and then Vanessa until the stoic German was dragged off onto the dance floor by his wife. The Rangers settled in, leaning against a high table to watch the Doctors Gottlieb swaying gently to the music. Chuck smiled gently at the sight, then frowned as he noticed several men and a few women openly ogling his best friend. He risked a glance at Mako, who always seemed to know when she was the object of someone’s attention, and found her enraptured by Hermann and Vanessa. 

“Alright, there Mako?”

She jumped. “Hmm? Oh, yes. I am fine.” 

“You’re a liar,” said Chuck. He took a sip of his drink and kept his eyes firmly forward. 

Mako swatted at him. “You are an ass.”

“No argument there, mate. Seriously, what’s wrong?” He turned his head to get a good look at the placid expression on her face. He didn’t often see this look anymore. Not since Raleigh came in and turned both their lives upside down at least. 

“I wonder if I will have that,” she gestured towards Hermann and Vanessa. “They are a good match.”

Chuck let his eyes drift back to where Hermann was now leading his wife off the floor and towards the buffet. They were holding hands and so obviously in love it was painful to watch, despite his own romantic leanings these days. The two were completely in sync. 

“You don’t think you can have that?”

“I am not sure it is for me.”

“Why not?”

Mako frowned and took a large drink of her champagne. “I do not relate to people well.”

“Well, that’s an understatement,” Chuck laughed. He didn’t quite dodge the punch to his arm and winced when Mako followed it up with another. “Ow. Ow. Sorry. Stop it. I’m sorry.” 

He stood away from her until she dropped her hands, though her eyes were still narrowed at him. Chuck smiled at her, and drew her into a quick one-armed hug, with a kiss pressed to her temple. “Come on, no more long faces. Let’s dance.”

Chuck dragged her onto the dance floor and hammed up his formal bow to her until she graced him with a small grin. They twirled around the floor changing partners often as other members of the PPDC filtered around them. But for once, they just enjoyed themselves, together. Their friendship was born in the fiery crucible of broken family and war. The few moments like this, where they got to act their ages, meant everything to them. 

Slipping back into the ballroom, Hannibal Chau checked on the two young pilots. He glimpsed a bit of blood left on his knuckles from his interrogation of the not-so-drunk asshole. He certainly was a cultist trying to lure the youngest Rangers out with jabs at their infamous tempers. His people passed along the pertinent information to the PPDC and the Hong Kong authorities and then dumped the jerk’s body in the bay. Let him float out to the Breach to join his beloved monsters, Chau didn’t care. He was rebranding anyway. 

Watching the two young Jaeger pilots enjoy themselves, Hannibal felt his old heart twinge. He prided himself on being a softy behind his admittedly dangerous exterior, but losing Jazmine last year hurt him more than he realized. She should be here, dancing and celebrating the not-end of the world. Her brother probably deserved to know the woman she became. Chau resolved to have Raleigh Becket around for drinks with his people. 

Lost in his head, Hannibal missed Newt joining him. It was unusual for the frenetic doctor to remain this quiet so Chau followed the other man’s gaze until it landed on the beautiful Miss Mori. A quick glance back at his bemusing friend confirmed his suspicions. 

“Got a crush there, little fella?”

Newt jerked. “Um,” he managed, intelligently. “No.”

“Yeah,” Hannibal snorted. “I believe that.”

“She’s gorgeous. And I am a healthy, heterosexual-ish man.”

Chau furrowed his brow and looked down at the other man. “What does ‘ish’ mean?”

“It means have you looked at the asses on the Hansen men or Raleigh Becket, like ever? I’d have to be dead not to slide along the Kinsey scale for that.” Newt rambled. 

Hannibal let his eyes stray to the redhead dancing with the petite Miss Mori and then down to the man’s waist. His suit jacket was tailored just right to accentuate the, indeed, fantastic ass hidden by his trousers. He surreptitiously scanned the room until Hercules Hansen’s figure caught his eye. He performed the same check, pausing to be both astounded and terrified by the Russian woman on Herc's arm, and then grunted. 

“Alright, I’ll let you have that one. Back to my original question though, you’ve got the hots for Miss Mori?” Newt blushed and took a large swig of the mixed drink in his hand, draining it. Chau snatched the glass and sniffed. “Screwdriver. Huh, didn’t peg you for a vodka man.”

“I don’t usually drink. Vanessa broke me of that when she was my TA at MIT. Said if I had more than three drinks, too fast, I stopped being the weird overly excited Professor and went straight into, and these are her words not mine, ‘White Girl Wasted.’ I had to google it to figure out what she meant. She was right though. Too bad she married Hermann, her judgment had to be off somewhere. Though I think the kid is cute.”

Chau let the doctor babble, noticing that the shorter man was still watching Miss Mori. He liked the little guy. Especially since he managed to find his shoe after the baby kaiju ate him. They’d become friends, as much as Hannibal was capable of having friends. So, he rolled his eyes at the ridiculous biology jargon flowing from Newt’s mouth as he discussed the likelihood of the Gottlieb kid’s attractiveness and let the topic of his crush drop. 

On the dance floor, Mako and Chuck were finally tiring out. They wound their way around the still dancing couples until they reached the bar where they were presented with large glasses of water. Several long gulps of the cool liquid later, and they both caught their breath enough to speak. 

“That was fun,” Mako breathed out, heavily. 

“That it was.” Chuck pointed to a bottle of whisky older than him and then signaled for two glasses. The bartender wordlessly handed the items off and Chuck deftly balanced them as he dragged Mako towards a corner table. They collapsed into the chairs and traded off pouring as they gossiped about the people around them. 

“You know,” Chuck began. “I _could_ play wingman for you tonight. We haven’t done that in a while.”

“I am not interested in sleeping with anyone tonight.”

Chuck pouted. “You sure? Can’t help but notice you’re well overdue for a Bex.”

“I. Am. Fine.” Mako ground out. “I do not need to—”

Suddenly, they were interrupted by a rather intoxicated Herc bidding them goodnight and murmuring about making sure Raleigh and Charlotte hadn’t burned down the Dome. Tatiana appeared right behind him, and ushered him away with a fond smile to them both. 

“Don’t get too drunk, darlings.” She chided. 

They both smiled at her and Chuck took a moment to study his friend as she watched the crowd. “Alright, I didn’t believe it when Ray told me, but you’re hung up on someone. Who is it?”

Mako rounded on him, shocked. “What did Raleigh tell you?”

“Nothing. Just that you were interested in someone. You gonna tell me who it is?”

She slumped in her chair and knocked back another shot of whisky. “No.”

“Maki?”

“No.”

“Mako, Jam Tart, please?”

She snorted a bit. Chuck always fell further into full-blown Strine the drunker he got. Soon all she’d hear was rhyming slang. “Why are all your nicknames for me food related?” He smiled sweetly at her. “No, there is nothing to tell.”

“Fine, I’ll give it a burl and figure it out myself.”

_“Chuck.”_

“Hmm?” He was already ignoring her and studying the crowd for the people he knew she spent the most time with at the Dome.

“There is no one.”

“Pull the other one. I’ve known you most of my life, Mako. You’re hung up on someone and I’m gonna find out. So we can do this easy or,” she glared at him. “Excellent. The hard way it is.”

He deftly maneuvered his chair away from her and kept scanning the room. She dropped her head to her hands, regretting the alcohol now as she was too drunk to bully him into stopping. 

“What about that bloke over there?” 

Mako raised her chin to rest on her arms and followed Chuck’s gesturing. The man he indicated was one of Crimson’s J-Techs. She’d slept with him on a whim nearly two years ago. It wasn’t very exciting. “What does Raleigh say? Been there, done that, got the t-shirt?”

“Oh, you tart. I must’ve been Harbourside to miss that one,” Chuck beamed. She was playing along now and more than a little groggy. She didn’t usually drink this much and he was definitely going to use it against her. “Right then, I know us gingers aren’t really your thing, but what about that Bluey over there? Doesn’t he work in PR?”

She studied the redheaded man. A bit older than Chuck and slimmer, he was fit but definitely not her type. “You know me better than this.”

“I do, wanted to see if you would lie.” 

He went silent long enough that she thought he’d given up. But when she looked up, he was watching Hannibal Chau across the room. No, not watching Chau, she realized. He was watching Newt. She tensed, barely containing the full-body spasm that threatened. Chuck didn’t notice, too busy studying the K-Scientist. The doctor had long-since shed his suit jacket and was clad in a subtle red and blue checked waistcoat and a white dress shirt. The sleeves were rolled up, exposing his tattoos. 

“Chuck,” she began slowly. He stopped her with a hand and stood up. With barely a backward glance, he was striding across the room towards the smuggler and the scientist. Mako froze, unable to move from the chair to stop him. 

Chau saw the pilot coming and smirked. “Hey there Baby Hansen. How’s things?”

“Fine. Thanks. Newt, I’d like a word.” 

Chuck didn’t wait for Newt to respond. He grabbed him by the scruff and Chau waved cheerily and went to find Miss Mori. The Aussie dragged Newt to the far corner of the room and crowded him against the wall. Newt was too shocked to say anything, so he gaped like a fish as the taller man glowered at him. Without warning, Chuck backed off and grinned. 

“Newt, how long have I known you?”

“S-Seven years I think?”

“Yeah. Spring before I went to the Academy, right? You came down to Sydney to pick up the bits from Arewhana.”

“Uh-Huh.”

“Hmm. You’ve known Mako about that long too, right? She broke your nose once didn’t she?”

“In Vladivostok. I totally deserved it.”

“Right. Well, then. I want you to do me a proper favor, Newt.”

The shorter man tried not to tremble at the maniacal grin creeping across Chuck’s face. “What’s that?”

“Go ask my best friend to dance.”

“Dance? With Mako?”

“Yes.”

“Why?”

“Because, she needs to have fun. And, even though I don’t rightly know why, you’re her friend. I’m knackered. Plan to head back to the Dome soon, but she deserves to hang out and have some more fun.”

“Fun?” Newt asked, incredibly confused by this whole situation. “Me?”

“You. Go on, she’s having a drink over there.”

“O-kay,” Newt stuttered out. He pushed away from the wall, but before he could get around the larger man completely, a hand landed on his shoulder. 

“Oh and Newt, not that you need it, but you’ve got permission.”

“Permission?” Newt repeated. 

“Yeah, Mako’s more than capable of breaking you in half. But mine and Raleigh’s permission to take a shot. You’d probably be surprised at the response.”

At thirty-five years old, Newton Geiszler thought his days of blushing like a virgin were over. He was wrong, though, because Chuck fucking Hansen just turned him into a blubbering, flushed mess. 

“Don’t act surprised, Newt. Just do like my old man says and take the shot.”

He shoved Newt away and sauntered out of the ballroom to catch a transport back to the Dome. Mako could kick his ass in the Kwoon later. This was worth it. 

Newt shuffled towards the far corner of the ballroom and stuttered to a halt when he saw Hannibal Chau sitting with Mako. The smuggler noticed him and smiled charmingly at the young woman. He shook her hand and walked past the scientist with a hearty clap on Newt’s shoulder. He made it a couple steps closer to the table and then collapsed into the chair Chau vacated. 

“Did your night just get really weird?”

“It did. My friends are terrible,” Mako muttered. She pushed Chuck’s abandoned glass across the table to Newt and they drank in silence. By the time the bottle was empty, they were chatting amiably and blushing whenever their eyes met. It wasn’t until the room started to noticeably empty that they realized how late it was. 

Newt took a look around and seemed to steel himself. He stood up and offered Mako a hand. His whole demeanor changed. She wasn’t looking at Newt, the goofy scientist who made her tea and gave her blankets, anymore. Instead the brilliant, insane man who cobbled together parts from Jaeger trash to make a PONS unit was gazing drunkenly down at her. 

“Come on, I’ve got something to show you.”

Mako didn’t hesitate, she took his hand.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> P.S. HOLY SHIT PEOPLE, you like this story. You do. I've been lurking on my stats page on my dashboard since I did the repost at Christmas and you guys are the best. TWO FUCKING THOUSAND HITS. I really didn't think this would be that popular. But hey, it's appreciated and never fails to make me smile. 
> 
> P.P.S. I'm studying for a certification for a job and hopefully will be interviewing for it soon. As a result, my plan to bust out the last ten chapters of this story in the next seven weeks may hit a snag. But I will dedicate time to finishing this before the sequel. I will. 
> 
> P.P.P.S. Thanks again for reading guys. You really are the best. Comments are always appreciated, and I will always respond to them as well.


	36. I'd Trade All My Tomorrows For Just One Yesterday

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, this is the beginning of the end. 
> 
> This is also a really short freaking chapter. It was much, much longer originally. But a lot of the dialogue and, let's call it context, felt ridiculous on a re-read. Thus you get a 1691 word chapter instead of 5000+ words of nonsense with no plot. 
> 
> My Beta buddy read me the riot act for the original draft. I deserved that. 
> 
> I'm really sad about ending this story. I won't know what to do with myself. Expect another chapter within the next week or so. 
> 
> ALSO YOU FUCKERS ARE AWESOME!!! 2000+ HITS REALLY? I'm ready to go full Sally Field on you.

\-----December 11, 2024------

**1645 HRS, Jaeger Bay, Vladivostok Shatterdome, Vladivostok, Russia**

Charlotte Hansen surveyed the Jaeger Bay. Cherno Alpha was already on its way to Hong Kong. The UN was stymying its transport schedule the whole way. None of the PPDC cruisers were allowed to ferry the Jaeger to China. Instead the Mark I was strapped to the deck of a massive ship and would arrive in three weeks. The captain was taking what he told Charlotte was the _safe route._ Bloody bastard was hugging the shoreline to avoid the open ocean and the possibility of a Kaiju attack instead of moving with speed. 

The empty Jaeger Bay was frightening. In the glory days, she’d been a rookie here. Her skills with machinery dovetailing with her need to shadow successful Rangers before she was assigned a Jaeger of her own. She worked tirelessly as a J-Tech, earning the respect of the stoic Russians as she cared for their machines. The pilots took her under their wings and taught her the realities of fighting giant monsters. When she finally climbed into a conn-pod with her father two years later, she’d managed to control her nerves only because she knew Sasha Kaidonovsky would kill her personally if she threw the drift. 

Overwhelmed by the silence, Charlotte retreated into LOCCENT where she could finish the shutdown of the dome without interruption from the skeleton crew of PPDC personnel and security wandering around. She took a seat in Maria Feodorovna’s usual chair and surveyed the empty Dome. The Shatterdomes all took on the character of their inhabitants after a while, she’d noticed. The Icebox was all cool blues and greys and filled with dangerous people who’d hug you, feed you, and then beat you to a bloody pulp if you stepped out of line. Panama was yellows and greens, siestas and cervezas, right up until the alarms went off. Then all hell was unleashed on any incoming Kaiju. 

Sydney was cool concrete and steel walls, housing a group of people who never quite learned what it meant to be calm and collected. Fights were common, but grudges were rare. Everyone spoke their mind, right to your face, and happily took the insubordination write-ups if it meant getting the job done better. 

Hong Kong was red. It was precision and diligent, unyielding confidence. It was also bursting with too much of everything. Too many people. Too many buildings. Too much noise. Too much…

She snapped herself back to the present. Vladivostok was in a class of its own. The Russians built it almost immediately after the foundation of the PPDC and the beginning of the Jaeger program. In their minds, the dream of Dr. Lightcap and the uncompromising attitude of Stacker Pentecost meant that there _would_ be Jaegers and the Dome was completed before the first T-90s even went into full production. 

The foundations of the Dome were built over the remains of the Russian Pacific Fleet’s massive dockyards. It’s sister Dome, in Tokyo, was its polar opposite in design. The Tokyo Dome reflected its hypermodern home city. Vladivostok looked like a cross between a nuclear cooling tower and a castle fortress. The concrete walls were thicker here than at any other Dome. The roaring Siberian and Pacific winds that circled the massive central tower over the Jaeger Bay were impossible to hear until the doors opened up. 

Inside, there was a sense of silent strength. Any loud noises were the product of exuberance and violence. But those outbursts were few and far between. The personnel here were, Charlotte tried to think of the proper word as she continued shutting down the computers in LOCCENT, enduring. Competent and in control, always, at least until the vodka came out. 

“How are things going?” Stacker Pentecost’s voice suddenly echoed from a screen to her left. 

She jolted at the interruption, the silence of the Dome lulling her into deep thought. “Marshal, sir, you caught me off guard.”

“I can see that, Charlotte,” he responded. The faint grin on his face spoke volumes. She frowned at him. 

“Things are nearly complete here. The crew is hiding the final bits of tech around the Dome and Tatiana assures me that the government is only going to make a tacit attempt at snooping with the UN inspectors next week. She says the deed has already been transferred to her name and takes effect the day after Staughton and his team come through. How did the Icebox inspection go?”

“As well as expected. They forced Herc and Mr. Choi to attend a video conference with me while Staughton flounced around, _collecting_ stray tech. Mr. Choi assures me they only got inconsequential pieces. Says he sent everything important to Hong Kong with you, last month.”

“Good.”

“How did your drift test with Chuck go, Charlotte?” 

“Pardon me, sir, but if you’re asking a week and a half after the fact, you know how well it fucking went.”

“True.”

They stared at each other through the glow of a computer monitor. Charlotte was incredibly happy that he’d cornered her here, now, and from afar. If the Marshal tried to have this conversation at the shutdown of the Los Angeles Dome next week, with all those people and memories around for her, well it wouldn’t have gone well for him. Charlotte was an exemplary soldier, right up until she wasn’t. 

She took a deep breath and tried to refocus on the program before her. Tendo and Maria would murder her if they thought she’d fucked up the LOCCENT shutdown. She definitely didn’t want them on her back for that, the various LOCCENT Chiefs were bloody terrifying when racked off. 

The Marshal let her work for a few moments, interjecting simple questions about how things were finishing up and what she thought of his plan to nuke the Breach. He studied her as she worked. Charlotte Hansen was a model of the perfect soldier. She worked hard, fought harder, and never backed down unless it would get her people killed. She was more than willing to die for her cause.

“Charlotte, what aren’t you telling me?” He asked gently. Charlotte nearly scoffed at the tone. Of course he would choose now to remember he was a good father. 

“I’m not sure what you mean, sir.”

“And I’m sure you’re hiding something.”

“I, I’m not—” She started, caught off guard by the question. She closed down the last of the transfer programs sending sensitive information to Hong Kong and turned her head to look at her commanding officer. He’d dropped the mask and she saw her father’s best friend, the man who raised Mako Mori. This wasn’t the dying Marshal of the PPDC who planned to martyr himself for the sake of humanity. This was the man who held her in his arms the week after Raleigh went AWOL. The man who wiped her tears away, tucked her under his chin, and reminded her that she was allowed to cry. Reminded her she was still Herc and Angela Hansen’s daughter, that she fought monsters and won. 

“I’m holding it together, sir.”

“But you aren’t okay? That’s why the testing with Herc and Chuck failed?”

“Yes.”

“Have you spoken to anyone?”

“No. I’m not dumping my impending mental breakdown on anyone, sir. Not now.”

“And what exactly happens if you lose your father and brother between now and the operation?”

“Then I scrap together whatever is left of my sanity and I carry the nuke down myself. I’ll finish this mission if it kills me, sir.”

He nodded, seeming to come to a decision of some sort, but the mask dropped back into place. “Vice-Marshal Hansen, I’m officially grounding you. You will report to Sydney in three days to oversee the shutdown procedures. I want everyone in Hong Kong by the New Year.”

“But, sir,” Charlotte protested. “What about Los Angeles?”

“The Gage twins have been cleared by medical. They arrived this morning to begin the process of transferring all relevant materials to either Hong Kong or Oblivion Bay.”

Charlotte slumped in her chair. She didn’t want to go to LA, not really, too many happy memories. But two months ago when she’d let Mako bully her into joining her father and Stacker at the Icebox, she thought the Marshal would send her out after Raleigh. She convinced herself he’d let her go AWOL to find him. He hadn’t. Instead, he collected all her information and sent a few personnel out to the Wall. Two months of searching and they still hadn’t found him. 

“Understood, sir.” She resisted the urge to pout or throw a tantrum. The shutdown program blinked on her screen and she set to typing in commands again. 

“I have a question for you, Charlotte.” Pentecost’s tone made her snap back to attention.

“Sir?”

“How do I find Raleigh Becket?”

The bottom dropped out of Charlotte’s stomach and she paused her typing to look at him. “I gave you his locations for the past ten months, sir.”

“But you didn’t give me everything did you?”

She gulped back her guilt. “No, sir, I didn’t.”

“Well,” he prompted when she didn’t continue immediately.

“I have a number. Gene Williams. He helped Raleigh get back on his feet in Juneau. If anyone knows where Raleigh is, it’s him.”

“I want that number.”

“Sir, can I—” 

“No, you have your orders. I want you in Sydney. I’ll be the one to bring Mr. Becket back.”

\-----

Ten days later, when Charlotte was making a hasty trip back to the Icebox to finish up the shutdown for Tendo as he relocated to Hong Kong early, she wondered if the Marshal was keeping her away from Raleigh for a reason. 

She wondered who her best friend had become without a Jaeger or his brother in his head. 

She wondered if she’d ever be able to set foot in a Jaeger again. 

Twelve days after that, when Chuck informed her that Raleigh Becket arrived in Hong Kong with the Marshal…

Well, she sat down on her bed in the Sydney Dome and wondered when she’d become a failure.


	37. I'll Be There to Guide You When Trouble Walks Beside You

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well fuck. We're twelve days out from that sequel people and I've got eight chapters in Beta-Hell right now. Eight. I got them done! Now its just a matter of getting them revised by next Thursday. 
> 
> I say Thursday because A) It's my baby brother's 25th birthday and shenanigans will be underway. B) because I have IMAX tickets to see PacRim Uprising at 7 PM that night and I will not miss that to post chapters. Sorry not sorry. C) Motherfuckers I will be at that movie premier!!!
> 
> Anyways, I was in a bit of a mood when this chapter got banged out. As such, we have some smoopy, fluffy, angsty goodness centered around Herc and Stella. I hope you like it. It's one of my favorite chapters in spite of it being so short. 
> 
> So, I hope you enjoy. The others will follow shortly. Hopefully I'll have two up tomorrow if my Beta-Buddy gets his shit together. I'm kidding. It's been mostly me, he edits very quickly for me. 
> 
> Peace out witches (And wizards!)
> 
> P.S. I got distracted by a rewatching of Inception and wrote a 20,000 word fic when I should have been working on this. Please justify my ADD and go read it. Please. --This is now the end of the shameless self-promoting Post Script. You may return to your regularly scheduled programming--

\-----August 5, 2025-----

**1137 HRS, Office of Marshal Hercules Hansen, Hong Kong Shatterdome**

“I don’t think you understand me, Mr. Thompson,” Herc snapped at the video screen in front of him. “This is standard procedure for any combatant organization. Those in administration take a demotion every time they go to the front lines and others are promoted in their place.”

“Then why did she retain the rank of Vice-Marshal when she piloted Striker Eureka three years ago? And why, for that matter, is Mako Mori receiving a promotion? Isn’t she going to be piloting with Raleigh Becket? Will he receive a promotion?” 

Herc eyed the United States Secretary of State carefully. Tendo stood on his right, practically vibrating with the urge to lose his temper with this asshole. The corruption charges that took down Cole and Taylor had ripple effects through their respective governments. Unfortunately, Thompson was one of the few that missed prison time and retained their position. 

“Those were special circumstances and if you’d paid attention to anything we sent to you in the last month, you’d see that she was temporarily relieved of duty as Vice-Marshal both times she stepped into a conn-pod. Deputy-Marshal Mori has already been promoted, but she is still in a third-tier position as befits her status as an active pilot. Commanders Becket and Hansen, my son not my daughter, are the heads of the new Jaeger Academy. Which you should know considering you personally recommended Mr. Lambert as a recruit. They both received promotions with their new positions. Now, if you’re quite done asking me questions you already have the answers to, Vice-Marshal Choi would like to go over our plans for the US based Domes and Oblivion Bay.”

Tendo jumped in before the Secretary of State could argue. “Mr. Thompson, if you’ll look at the fifth page of the packet I sent you last week, you’ll see that we plan to completely overhaul Oblivion Bay.”

Herc stepped back and let Tendo take over. Politicians the world over, wherever the PPDC had property or technological interest, were quickly learning to bow down before their pompadour and braces-wearing Vice-Marshal. Mako’s recent promotion to Deputy-Marshal had been long overdue. She’d been doing the work of ten officers and helping Tendo run LOCCENT by the time Pitfall rolled around. But the battlefield conditions were over and it was time to reorganize, cement the power structure among those people who’d remained loyal to the PPDC to the very end. Every single person who stood by Stacker Pentecost deserved a reward and Herc was going to make sure they got it. 

He caught movement in his peripheral vision and turned to find his granddaughter, Max and Lucy playing at her feet, sitting quietly at the table. She’d obviously snuck out of her lessons and come to hide in his office before her mum found her and dragged her back. Tendo was getting increasingly aggravated with Thompson, but had it handled, so he stepped out. 

“Where’re you supposed to be Stellaluna?” Herc asked, once Stella took her headphones out. The five-year-old smiled at him like she had a secret. She looked so much like her uncle in that moment it made Herc’s heart skip a beat with the memories. 

“School,” She answered him smugly. “I left when Mr. Wang was busy with Finn. He called me a name today. Mr. Wang said I did good not hitting him, even if he deserved it.”

She chattered on about school and Herc made a mental note to hire another assistant for Arthur, Mr. Wang to all of his students. The Chinese-American teacher came on board with the PPDC shortly after marrying Paula Marvelo and, like the good doctor, realizing that many families needed, and wanted, a safe environment for their kids to go to school and ride out a Kaiju attack. The teacher recruited dozens of his colleagues and convinced Stacker to hire them on to the various Domes. Most of them had stayed on with the PPDC, learning to service Jaegers as well. Last he heard, Djalu was keeping them all on rotation with the crews because they made good foremen. 

Herc patted Stella on the head as she continued to inform him about her morning and work on her lessons. The dogs ran around his office, picking up the occasional stray toy that had migrated underneath his spare bits of furniture. He kept an eye on Tendo and settled into the mountain of paperwork built up on his tablet. 

“Grandpa?”

“Yeah, love?”

“Will the Kaiju ever come back?”

He looked up at his granddaughter. She was too damned smart and perceptive for her age. Not for the first time, he wondered, much like his daughter and Stella’s pediatrician, if the repeated drifts Charlotte had while pregnant hadn’t somehow affected the kid’s development. She seemed to have sense memories of places and people she’d never encountered before. More than once, Herc had caught her up on the catwalks talking to the Jaegers. 

He’d asked her why she did it once, after she had them all frantic looking for her for nearly two hours, and she said they liked talking to her. With all the ghost stories floating around about the machines, he didn’t doubt for a second that the Jaegers were partially sentient at this point. Stella, in particular, always had a story to tell about how Striker used to talk to her and took care of her when she was crawling around after Chuck and the J-techs repairing the Mark V. 

“I don’t know,” He answered honestly. He’d never believed in lying to his kids and he sure as hell wasn’t going to change things with Stella. “But all the work we’re doing, all the new Jaegers we’re building, it’s all to make sure that if they do come back we’ll be ready for them.”

She looked at him quizzically for a long moment and then grinned, “Good.”

They lapsed into silence for several long minutes before Stella piped up again. “Mummy and Uncle Chuck are supposed to pilot together aren’t they?”

“Yes,” Herc answered, not looking up from his tablet. “They’re in the simulator right now, which is why you haven’t been dragged back to Mr. Wang yet.” 

He fixed her with a look and a smirk, then returned to his tablet. She ducked her head and answered another math problem. At her birthday party last week, Charlotte and Chuck snuck out to have a screaming row in the hall after a spectacular failure in the sim. Stella went looking for them and found them arguing. She got upset and refused to speak to them for the rest of the day, refusing to leave Raleigh’s side when they both went to apologize. 

When it came time for bed later that night, she’d demanded to go with Herc and he put her up in Chuck’s old room. Max had even given his master the cold shoulder and followed her. He pulled his doggie bed up to the hallway door and slept there, a snoring barrier between her and the rest of the Dome. 

Since then, both dogs spent their time following the little girl around, never more than a few feet away from her at all times. If anyone asked Herc before Stella decided her mother and uncle were persona non grata who Max’s favorite humans was he would have answered Chuck, no question. His children were on their sixth day of exile. 

Stella reached out and clicked her tongue. Both dogs instantly ran to her and she slipped out of her chair to rub both their bellies. She rolled on the floor with them and Herc stopped working to watch her. 

“Will they be alright?” She finally asked. 

He was stopped from answering by Tendo joining them. The Vice-Marshal scrubbed a hand over his face sighing. He looked down and realized Stella was in the office and a wide smile broke out on his face. “Stella Bella! Did you skip school again?”

“Yup.”

“Planning on going back?”

“After lunch.”

Both men glanced down at their watches and then again at the clock hanging over Herc’s door. It was well-past noon now. They groaned and Stella giggled. 

“I suppose that means you’re hungry doesn’t it, love?” Herc asked her. 

“Yup.”

“Alright then, Tendo, I know you’re ready for a break. Let’s head down to lunch. Stella, pack up your schoolwork, I’ll walk you back down when we’re done.”

“Bonzer!” 

Five minutes later, they were walking into the mess hall. The cooks caught sight of Stella and suddenly Herc was discovering exactly how spoiled his granddaughter was. A leftover piece of her birthday cake, a chocolate monstrosity decorated to look like Striker’s logo, Max holding a bomb in his mouth, appeared on her tray fresh out of the fridge. Two meat pies and an extra helping of steamed broccoli showed up next, with promises that there would be more cake if she finished all her vegetables. Considering she’d grown four inches in the last six months, he wasn’t going to stop the kitchen staff from overfeeding her, but when he asked if he could have an extra roll he was glared at. Even Peg, the head chef, stopped by to make sure Stella had all her favorites. Tendo drifted off to sit with some of the LOCCENT techs, already talking quickly about 

When his granddaughter chose a table right in the middle of the room and began to hold court with all the various crews and staff, Herc sighed and glared at them all until he was left alone with Stella. She smiled sweetly at him, chewing on meat pie and sneaking pieces under the table to Max and Lucy. 

“You’ve been skipping school a lot haven’t you?”

“Maybe.”

“What’s wrong, Stella? You love school.”

She turned her eyes down to her food and started picking at the broccoli with her fork. It was one of the few vegetables that she liked, other than her new found love for Brussel sprouts and bacon. “Dunno.”

“This have anything to do with what you asked me upstairs?” Stella nodded. “So you’re worried about your Mum and Uncle Chuck, huh?”

“Yeah,” She muttered. “They fight a lot.”

“They do. But they’re the best when they get in a Jaeger together. Even better than me and Uncle Chuck.”

“Better than Raleigh and Mako too?”

“It might be a tie there, love.” Herc smiled. Stella idolized Mako. Charlotte was slightly bitter about it, but finally conceded defeat when Mako taught Stella well enough to take down one of the new Ranger recruits. Raleigh and Chuck were still playing the video for anyone who stood still long enough to watch. They’d also taken to threatening the recruits with the threat of babysitting Stella if they didn’t pass their tests. 

“Grandpa,” Stella said after finishing all her broccoli. “I’m scared.”

“Of what, love?”

“The Kaiju. Uncle Chuck and Mr. Aleksis and Miss Sasha and Raleigh and Mako, they got hurt really bad last time. And Mr. Stacker died. So did the Way Weis.” Stella choked up a bit as she whispered her nickname for the triplets. 

Herc stood up and walked around the table to sit next to her. She sank into his side immediately and sniffled a bit. He’d almost forgotten how quickly emotions changed for kids her age. With her experience of a war piled on top of that, it was a wonder it took this long for the sprog to break down. 

“Yeah they did. You know your Grandpa was a soldier before the Kaiju, yeah?”

“Uh huh,” She sniffled. 

“Well, when your Mum and Uncle Chuck were little, I had to leave to go fight. Do you know what I told them?”

She shook her head, “No.”

“I said that it didn’t matter that I was leaving. It didn’t matter where I was going or who or what I was fighting. All that mattered was that I was going to do my best to come home.”

“And you always came home.”

“I did,” He answered and pulled her in close. “But I almost didn’t. You grew up in the scariest war that this world has ever seen. You never knew what it meant to see me and Chuck going away. But now you’re old enough and you do know. It’s okay to be scared. We’re all scared. Always have been. That’s part of why Chuck and your Mum fight. They’re scared to lose each other if they mess up. But they’re working hard on it and they’re never going to get into a Jaeger if they think they might not come back to you.”

Stella wiped her eyes and nodded. “Okay.”

Herc pulled his tray across the table and traded some broccoli for a bite of Stella’s cake. 

Raleigh and Chuck walked into the mess hall twenty minutes later to find the eldest and youngest Hansen working on her maths lesson. Charlotte had just released Chuck from yet another simulator marathon. Raleigh, fresh off the ferry from the Academy, met him on the way to the mess. He’d pulled up a video of Jake, Lambert, and Luke Taylor playing a prank on several of the recruits and it set both Rangers to laughing. Seeing the grandfather/granddaughter duo hunched over a workbook sobered their giggling mood immediately and they exchanged a glance. After a quick run through the food line for some snacks, they sat down across from Stella and Herc. 

“Hey LaLa,” Chuck ventured carefully. Stella had been ignoring him all week. 

The little girl clenched her jaw, but Herc elbowed her gently. “Hey Uncle Chuck.”

Raleigh tried not to sigh in relief, but he couldn’t help the slump of his shoulders as Chuck broke into a huge smile. His lover spent the last few days utterly convinced he’d fucked up with his niece. He’d been depressed and useless. He didn’t even want to beat the shit out of the recruits. Seeing all the tension bleed out of his shoulders as Stella smiled shyly at him now was the definition of heartwarming. 

“So, kiddo, whatcha workin’ on over there?” He asked since Chuck was still too excited to speak. 

“Maths. Mr. Wang started me on long division this week. It’s hard.”

“You know Chuck is really good at math?”

“Are you, Uncle Chuck?” Stella asked excitedly. “Cause Grandpa is shit at it.”

Raleigh busted out laughing as both Hansen men chastised Stella for using language she heard from them all the time. By the time he got his giggles under control, the five-year-old was staring dubiously between the two men as they explained that she couldn’t say things like that. Herc and Chuck switched positions at the table and Raleigh smiled at Stella when she whispered, “bullshit,” under her breath while they weren’t listening to her. She grinned back conspiratorially and he knew he’d just cemented himself firmly in the “Cool Uncle” category. 

Then it occurred to him that he’d reached “uncle” status in the first place and he had to sit quietly for a moment. He’d gotten much better in the last few months about letting his melancholy moods overtake him, but sometimes when he realized exactly how happy he was now, he just needed to take a moment and readjust. Steve used to tell him that depression would never leave him. It would always lurk at the edges of his life. Healing wasn’t about beating it back, it was about recognizing that he’d always be on the edge of a cliff and sometimes all he had to do was fall and trust that he'd built up enough cushion with family and friends to catch him. 

Herc caught his eye and furrowed his brows questioningly. Raleigh grinned and shook his head. The Marshal was surprisingly perceptive when it came to his Rangers’ moods, always ready with a story, a back slap, or a harsh word when necessary to pull them out of whatever bullshit their respective trauma dragged them into. He nodded and returned to watching his son and granddaughter fight about the right way to solve a problem. Raleigh forced his attention back on them as well, reminding himself that this was his new normal. These people were his family and they’d be there for him when he needed them. 

Raleigh looked around the mess hall and realized that he knew everyone’s names, could remember at least one thing about them or their families. The faintest trace of Yancy in his head popped in with, “that’s what you call a friend, asshole,” and he smiled. His brother was disappearing day by day, the trauma overwritten by new, happier memories, but Mako assured him that they’d keep him alive in the drift. Yancy would never want him to wallow, not when there were people around to keep an eye out for him. 

Charlotte appeared in the mess hall’s doorway and caught him looking around. She smiled at him and he was struck, suddenly, by the lack of tension in her shoulders and the real joy on her face. He’d known her for a decade and there wasn’t a time he could remember where she didn’t look like the world hung off her shoulders. The confident march she made towards their table confirmed his suspicions. She was getting better, healing, they both were. 

“Mummy!” Stella shouted. She jumped up and ran, dogs trailing her, to her mother. Charlotte looked equal parts ecstatic, relieved, and ready to cry. For all that Stella had been upset with Chuck, she hadn’t been actively avoiding him, unlike her mother. 

“Hey LaLa,” Charlotte whispered into her daughter’s hair. “You skipped school today didn’t you?”

“Yeah, but Grandpa and Uncle Chuck have been making sure I do my work. I didn’t want to be around the other kids today.”

Charlotte hefted Stella up on her hip and joined her family. “If you have days like that you know you can tell Mr. Wang? He’ll make sure you can leave without you getting in trouble, _again.”_

“Yeah. I guess. Sneaking out is fun though.”

Herc listened to mother and daughter argue, occasionally interrupted by “helpful” tidbits from Raleigh and Chuck and smiled. Pitfall was their last chance to save this exact moment for every family on the planet. Somehow, against the odds they succeeded and his family stayed intact, not whole, definitely broken, but together through the whole thing. He shuddered to think what would have happened if they lost Chuck, what would have happened to him, to Charlotte and Stella. But they didn’t and Raleigh, well, that boy was surely on his way to officially being his son if he had any say in it. 

He hoped Stacker knew, somehow, that his sacrifice worked. Old bastard deserved to know his stubbornness finally paid off in the end.


	38. So Don't Stop, Don't Stop Until Your Heart Goes Numb

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, so SPRING FUCKING SUCKS. I got sick. Luckily it's Spring Break so there are none of my horrendous little students around to get me sicker. 
> 
> Beta-hell is upgrading to Beta-purgatory. Someone purchased me an indulgence. Thank you. 
> 
> This chapter is short. It was always planned to be. However it doesn't even break 1500 words after heavy editing. The original was closer to 5000, but it was a rambling mess. 
> 
> So enjoy this placeholder, I shall hopefully have the next one out tomorrow.

\-----December 27, 2025-----

**0935 HRS, Sydney Shatterdome, Sydney, Australia**

“I don’t fucking care, Mako! Striker does not get shipped out until after dad gets back from his little walkabout in Alaska with the Marshal.”

“Chuck-kun, the UN will use this against us. We must make it look like we are following their orders,” Mako chided Chuck. He stopped barreling down the hallway to turn around and loom over her. Not his best choice, if he was honest with himself, but he was too pissed off to give a shit. 

“Two years they’ve been scaling us back for that fucking Wall, Mako. Two years. You know how hard it is to be the only thing standing between one of those fuckers and a city? With that flimsy bit of fluff behind you? No, you don’t. Because you aren’t a pilot.”

Mako’s eyes went cold instantly. He resisted the urge to cringe away from the look on her face. His dad, for all their problems, spent years teaching him to use his rage against the Kaiju. Years spent forcing him to rein in his temper and use his fists against the monsters and not people. No one was going to stop him running his mouth. Charlotte used to tell him all the fights he got in at the Academy weren’t because the other recruits were intimidated by him, despite his age and abilities, it was his fucking mouth. 

And now he’d gone and pissed off his best friend. Mako was a barely contained nuclear weapon most days, her iron control a product of Stacker’s rigorous training and fatherly disapproval. When he wasn’t around though, she was more likely to hit you than cut you down with her razor sharp intellect. 

“Mako,” He started. Apologies sat on the tip of his tongue. She raised a hand to stop him speaking. 

“I will ignore this on one condition.” 

He gulped. “Name it,” he managed. He knew he was going to fucking regret this. 

“Your sister.”

“What about Charlotte?”

“The Marshal needs her to stay in Sydney when we leave for Hong Kong,” Mako put a hand over his mouth when he made to interrupt her. “I was not told why. I was only told to make sure she stayed. You are going to help me.”

“She’s not gonna be happy ‘bout this Mako.”

“I know.”

“Marshal’s up to something that’s got her wound tighter than a, oh fuck, I don’t remember the saying. You know what I mean.”

“I do.”

“What do you expect me to do?”

“What you do best, Chuck-kun.”

“Yeah,” He said, scrubbing a hand over his face. Max bumped his leg in sympathy. “I’ll find something to set her off. No worries. She won’t even want to come see us off by the time I’m done.”

“Good,” Mako smiled at him. She was still racked off, he could tell, but he was on his way to forgiveness. If they weren’t standing in a crowded hallway, he’d hug her. Neither of them were comfortable with expressing their feelings, especially in public. Their carefully cultivated images as the PPDC’s pet child prodigies with massive anger issues were too longstanding to contradict at this point, especially if they wanted to maintain a healthy fear and respect from the rest of the personnel. “The UN inspector is a good man. I will do what I can to make sure he overlooks the decommissioning process on the Jaegers. Then I will go see Charlotte.”

“Don’t upset her too bad before I get there, eh, Maki? Can’t have her waiting on the follow-up, yeah?”

“I will relay the Marshal’s orders, that should be sufficient. It is only a week until I see you in Hong Kong, Chuck-kun.”

“Right then, Miss Mori. See you in Hong Kong.”

**\-----1225 HRS, The Wall, Sitka, Alaska, USA-----**

Raleigh stared out over the edge of the girder at the ocean. It was his ritual now. Finish a bit of the wall and look out to make sure the monsters weren’t on their way to dismantle his work. He didn’t really think the Wall would stop a Kaiju, knew it wouldn’t actually. But he couldn’t help wanting to make sure that nothing was coming out of the water. He wasn’t sure, even after five years, if he shouldn’t have died with Yancy. 

Anna stuck around with him for a while after Nome, travelling the Wall with him, keeping him grounded. She had her own nightmares to deal with, her own monsters to fight. They helped each other out. Eighteen months of her, Gene, and the occasional call to Steve, finally convinced him suicide was definitely not an option. Working the Wall, though, he sometimes looked down and wondered. 

He still missed her. The crazy hot blonde woman, Raven, who showed up to take her back to whatever foster home she’d been in before the boyfriend told him Anna’s aunt called the cops and they were looking at Anna for murdering the boyfriend. He knew it was bullshit, Anna wasn’t a killer. Besides, he heard her screaming at night, knew what kind of monsters lived in her dreams. 

She was never one to accept human contact, couldn’t bear to be touched after her boyfriend’s body lay on top of her for so long in the bunker. But she held his hand sometimes, or let him hold hers, a single point of connection. She left him with her ration cards, six hundred bucks, and a quick kiss on the cheek. 

His foot slipped on the girder a bit and Raleigh snapped back to the present. Anna left because she had to, not because of him. She’d told him to hold the line, to stay busy and keep the voice in his head to himself. For a year he’d done just that. He took more dangerous assignments on the wall these days, but he didn’t do more than look at the ocean or the ground. Only wondered, never acted. Anna told him she knew he’d get a chance to change things. He wanted to believe her. 

The bell rang for the end of his twelve hours and he slid down to the ground. The same fat guy who showed up two days earlier followed him back to the barracks. Raleigh knew the guy recognized him but, despite the guy’s constant chatter when they were on the ground, neither of them acknowledged it. Besides, having the weird new guy around kept some of the others away from him. No one wanted to know why the new guy was hanging around the quiet guy. 

“Hey!” Fat guy signaled to him from the middle of the chow line. “Saved your spot.”

Raleigh frowned but joined him in line. The guy learned quickly. Half the people here saved spots for their buddies. He let the guy prattle on at him, his eyes firmly locked on the TV hanging above them. He watched every day for a Kaiju attack. Listened for Charlotte’s name, watched all the interviews she gave, saw how shitty she looked. Her brother gave twice as many interviews and Raleigh hated the kid. 

He had a mouth on him that was going to get him in all kinds of trouble if the wrong person took offense. He didn’t remember Herc or Charlotte ever telling him anything about the rage that kid carried around. Made sense though, when he thought about it, all the half-stories Charlotte told about her brother and the chip on his shoulder. He hadn’t grown out of it, apparently, only grown into it. He was built like a brick house and if his fucking mouth wasn’t running, Raleigh could see why half the planet’s population had a countdown for the prick to turn eighteen. 

That was four years and a half-dozen Kaiju kills before the bitter, angry shithead now spouting off about the Wall appeared on his screen. It looked like he’d gone and found a reporter outside the Sydney Dome. Charlotte was in the background, moving quickly and angrily towards her little brother. 

The footage cut off and Raleigh’s attention dropped back to the ration cards in his hand. “Hold the line,” Anna told him. He’d done that. But he wasn’t sure he could do it much longer. Not with shitheads like Chuck Hansen running their mouths off about shit they didn’t understand. He wondered, not for the first time, if he shouldn’t throw himself down on Pentecost’s mercy and climb back into a pod. 

No. No, he couldn’t. No one could hold up to the shit in his head. It’d take a miracle, and a hell of a copilot.


	39. Roughing Up Our Minds So We're Ready for When the Kill Time Comes

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I will bloody finish this thing before Uprising. I WILL!!!
> 
> That being said, I had this chapter planned out one way and two days of obsessively watching the trailers with my beta-buddy meant we backed off on a lot of things. There was a lot more character background for Jake and Nate and we decided to back off from it in favor of violence. I prefer to keep the characters' backstories as canonical as possible. 
> 
> So, we end off this chapter with Raleigh and Chuck rather than some bro-bonding btw Nate and Jake. It's honestly one of my favorite chapters to date, purely for the fluff at the end.
> 
> The end is nigh! I'm really gonna have a good cry when I finish all my edits and post the last chapter. A good cry and a half bottle of Jameson... This thing has taken up most of a year of my life. 
> 
> Anyways, I hope you enjoy my loverlies.
> 
>  
> 
> Minor edits made due to flipping Uprising and reposted April 4, 2018. Orig posted March 16.

\-----August 20, 2024-----

**0430 HRS, PPDC Jaeger Academy, Beijian Dao, Victoria Harbour, China**

Chuck tossed Jake Pentecost over his shoulder and planted his bo staff in the other man’s throat. 

“4-2. I win.” 

Jake sighed, hard and heavy. He forgotten in the five years he’d been away from the PPDC how bloody fucking awful Chuck was. Forgot how unforgiving his friend could be when it came to Jaegers, to training. Then he up and decided to apply to the new Jaeger Academy and let not only _Chuck Fucking Hansen_ be his teacher, but also _Raleigh Goddamn Becket._

The two of them were so frighteningly in sync that his classmates had bets going to see when they dumped their respective drift partners for each other. None of the few rookies, including Jake himself, who knew the two men before they took over running the new Academy could convince these PPDC newbies that Becket and Hansen’s drift partners were actually _worse._

Chuck hauled him to his feet and let him limp back to his spot in between Taylor and Lambert. The two other recruits, both American, had decided to shadow Jake for some reason. Three days into training, while Mako was running them all through bushido positions, he realized that the two of them were flanking him and had been for a while. Mako wasn’t cutting him any slack either. 

Taylor clapped him on the back and gave him a sympathetic look while Lambert just grinned. They believed his stories about his sister and Charlotte Hansen at least, knew that Chuck and Raleigh were there to build them up, make them tough, just so the two women could break them all back down again. 

“Lambert!” Raleigh’s voice barked across the kwoon. “You got something you wanna share with the class?”

“No, sir.” The former USAF pilot flushed and the grin dropped off his face instantly. Jake couldn’t help but pick up the smirk. Nate was all about being a cocky asshole, as long as the brass wasn’t looking at him. Raleigh’s eyes flicked over to Jake and narrowed. 

“Pentecost,” He said slowly and now Chuck was in on the action. Both instructors were letting the other recruits edge away from Jake and Lambert slowly. Taylor at least moved away a little more slowly, trying to decide if he’d stick out the punishment with them or save his own ass. He chose the latter and Jake couldn’t blame him. 

“Sir,” Jake finally managed, trying not to flinch under the weight of the combined Hansen/Becket stare down. 

“Is there something you two find funny about training today, cadets?”

“No, sir!” They both shouted simultaneously. 

“I didn’t think so,” Raleigh said, smiling. Jake was suddenly reminded of the time his mum let him watch footage of the Manila fight in 2019. He remembered watching Gipsy Danger beat a Kaiju to death with its own arm. Now, he knew, without a shadow of a doubt, it wasn’t Yancy who’d thought of ripping the arm off. “Commander Hansen?”

“Yes, Commander Becket?” Chuck responded behind the rigid line of Raleigh’s back as he loomed over the two cadets. 

“I think it’s time for Charlie Protocol.”

Chuck coughed to cover an incredulous laugh. “Not to disagree with you, mate, but are you sure that’s wise? I’m not sure these poor buggers could handle it.”

“Oh,” Raleigh said. The smile on his face spoke volumes. “I’m sure. Cadets! Form up! We’re going to the sims.”

Chuck pointed at Jake and Lambert as the rest of the recruits met Raleigh at the door. “You two hang back. I’ve got a call to make, then we’ll be joining the rest of them.”

The two hung to the side of the room and shared nervous looks as Chuck got on the phone. The Australian shared a quick, hushed conversation and ended it with a laugh. They’d definitely heard the words “Charlie Protocol” somewhere in there. 

“Oi, come on you bastards. Raleigh will have the others ready by now.”

The recruits followed a smiling, swaggering Chuck into the halls of the new Academy and down to the simulator bays. There were sixteen in all, capable of single, double, and triple simulated combat. None of the other recruits were visible. Raleigh was waiting outside a sim on the far side of the room. Chuck escorted them down and Jake couldn’t help noticing that all the other simulators were set in ready mode. They were all active, except the two flanking the sim Raleigh waited by. Thirteen sims. There were thirty recruits. Four teams of three had already started forming, which left the other nine sims available for the remaining eighteen pilots. He glanced at Lambert, he seemed to have reached the same conclusion. The doors opened with a whoosh behind them and Charlotte Hansen, with Mako Mori on her six, entered the sim room. 

“This them then?” She asked Raleigh and Chuck. The men both nodded and Jake gulped. “Charlie Protocol, eh? Think they can handle it?”

“We’ll see,” Raleigh deadpanned. Mako smirked at her brother. The other veteran pilots all shared a smile as both recruits wavered. “In you go, Pentecost, Lambert. Time to suit up.”

He shuffled both recruits in and supervised the techs getting both men into their drivesuits. Once he was satisfied they weren’t going to trip over themselves, he disappeared. Jake and Lambert shared a look as he walked out, whistling. The techs escorted them into the simulator and made sure they locked into the prototype uplinks. The HUD came to life and the dulcet tones of Gipsy Danger’s AI, the standard operating system for all the new Jaegers after its success during Pitfall, greeted them. It gave them a three second countdown and they were thrown into the drift. 

Jake flinched away from the onslaught of Lambert’s memories at first, until he heard the other man shouting at him. He focused on his mother’s face, grounding himself, and looked around the memory of his house for Lambert. He found him standing out in his mother’s garden in London. His mum was taking the laundry down, folding it into a wicker basket. The other pilot turned and nodded and reached out. They grabbed each other by the forearm and snapped back to awareness in the simulator. The AI rattled off a series of drift readings. Jake didn’t hear any of it, neither did Lambert, Nate. They were still swimming in the edges of memory. 

“Drift holding at eighty-five percent. Simulation codename: Charlie Protocol ready. Would you like to begin?” The AI questioned. 

Nate made to engage the system but it fired up of its own accord. The screen flickered to life as the simulator jerked them down, replicating the disorientation of the conn-pod dropping down to hook up to its Jaeger. Before they could recover, they were jerked upward and the sounds of dozens of Jumphawks echoed around them. The screen showed a storm shattering the sky with torrential rain and lightning. 

Jake and Nate both turned to look around, careful not to jostle themselves on the cables connecting them to the Jumphawks. They saw Daimyo Aurora on their left and Cobalt Endeavor on their right. Neither Jaeger was completed yet, though Cobalt was only days away. The prototype Mark VI and Mark VII Jaegers were hovering alongside them, Jumphawk crews carrying all three of them towards the raging hurricane in front of them. 

“Lambert, Pentecost, come through.” Charlotte Hansen’s voice echoed through the comms. 

Nate reached up to open their comms. “Lambert here, ma’am.”

“What’s your drift reading, cadet?”

Both of them glanced at the HUD, they shared a wide-eyed look at the number, and Jake cleared his throat. “Ninety-two percent and holding, ma’am.” 

“Excellent. We’ve engaged Charlie Protocol for you today, cadets. I don’t plan on shouting out your names during this whole thing, so what do you two want your call sign to be?”

They looked at each other and bantered a few names back and forth through the drift. Apparently they stayed quiet for too long because Charlotte’s voice suddenly broke through again. “I’m waiting cadets.”

“Gipsy.” Jake barked out. 

“Gipsy Avenger.” Nate followed up. 

They heard an intake of breath and Raleigh’s voice rumbled out a, “good choice,” as Mako chuckled. 

“This is a good name for the two of you. I hope to see you in such a Jaeger someday, especially since you aren’t supposed to know it’s going into production soon,” she teased gently. 

“You tossers couldn’t show some respect for Striker, eh?” Chuck joked. 

The sound of drivesuit pieces connecting echoed for a few seconds as Charlotte swatted her brother. “Gipsy Avenger it is. Here are your mission parameters, cadets.”

Translucent digital information appeared on the HUD, outlining the simulated mission. Jake swore, loudly, eliciting chuckles from everyone except Nate. Charlie Protocol was a worse-case scenario. It projected the Breach reopening and spitting out a minimum of six Category V Kaiju. Other Kaiju signatures swam in and out of range as the sensors were disabled. 

“How are we supposed to fight this many, ma’am?” Nate asked, obviously nervous. 

“Alone, Gipsy.” Charlotte responded. “The longer you stay alive, the more support you’ll receive. Your fellow cadets will monitor your progress and drop in to the simulation for every two minutes you stay alive.” 

A timer appeared in the left corner of the HUD. “If you manage to engage all of your reinforcements, that is all thirteen Jaegers, then, and only then, will we step in.”

Jake couldn’t help himself and Nate barely suppressed a groan as his drift partner opened his mouth. “Um, why is it called Charlie Protocol, ma’am?”

“Because my brother holds the record. They renamed it after him because his training partner quit the program right after dropping with him.” Charlotte responded. “And he’s been smug about it ever since, so I’d really quite appreciate it if you two managed to beat his record, which was only ten bloody minutes.”

The sound of Chuck biting down laughter made both men cringe. If Chuck Hansen only survived this for ten minutes, how could they do any better…

“Approaching Breach, ETA sixty seconds to drop.” The AI chimed in over the comms. 

“Right, that’s my cue, gents. You will receive no response on comms from us from here on out. Consider yourselves the point men on this drop. All other Jaegers will defer to your command. Good luck.”

The comms cut out and Jake shared a look with Nate. 

_…We’ve got this, mate…_  
_…I fucking hope so…_

The cables disengaged and they dropped, heavy, into the unforgiving, chaotic waters of the Pacific. Jake double checked all the instrument panels to make sure they weren’t taking on water as Nate set about engaging the underwater combat system. The Breach showed up as a bright slash on their screens, radiating heat two miles ahead of them. With one last overview of all the systems they’d been trained to verify, they set off. 

They kept their heads on a swivel. Every shadow was checked, and double checked, for a heat signature. Both of them had their arms up, ready to defend against any attack. The timer on the HUD read one-minute-forty-five seconds and counting down. Several times they both let the thought that this was too easy cross their minds, but they both resisted the urge to voice the thought. 

Suddenly, two shadows broke away from the smoke vents on their left. Gipsy whipped around to face them and managed to blast a Category II Kaiju to bits and then grapple with another, strangling it to death. The two-minute timer ran out and then restarted. 

“Titan Redeemer dropping in,” Samuel Clarke’s voice came over the comms. “Where do you want us, Gipsy?”

Gipsy glanced over its shoulder to clock the Mark V Jaeger. Sam had an unshakeable bond with his cousin, Britt Marchionda. Britt, never Brittany, was a J-Tech nerd Pentecost caught building a conn-pod in hers and Sam’s backyard two years prior. He recruited them and now they were actually going to get a real Jaeger. Four Kaiju signatures appeared on Gipsy’s HUD and made straight for the two Jaegers. 

“You take the two on the left, Titan. We’ll get the other two.” Nate barked through the comms. 

Britt’s, “understood,” was lost to the roar of four furious Category III’s as they readied spikes and tails and claws for attack. The timer read four minutes and counting. 

The first two Kaiju went down quickly under a barrage of fire from Titan’s gunner pod. The other two converged on Gipsy, blocking the path of fire, and Titan charged after them to help Gipsy grapple with the monsters. One went down to a plasma cannon blast from Gipsy as Titan held it still. The other fell to Titan’s fists. Another two minutes ran out as six Kaiju flanked the two Jaegers. 

“Lucky Strike dropping in.” 

Jake barked out orders as the Mark VI Jaeger moved to break the circling Kaiju. The mix of Category III and IV creatures reacted violently to the new combatant and by the time the third two minutes ran out, Titan was limping along the ocean floor towards the Breach and Gipsy was taking on water. Lucky Strike didn’t last three minutes. 

The two Jaegers stumbled to the edge of the Breach and, before they could receive their programmed reinforcement, a massive Category V floated up and swiped them both with its tail. The conn-pods of both Jaegers were crushed immediately and the simulators dropped. 

“Would you like to try again?” The AI asked. Nate and Jake dropped out of sync, shaking from the effort. 

“Well done, cadets.” Charlotte Hansen’s voice echoed through the simulator bays. “That’s a new record for second place, a respectable six minutes. Since you’ve gone and brassed off your commander by coming close to his time, we’re going again and again until he gets to beat up some Kaiju. Restart the simulation.”

“Charlie Protocol reengaging. Simulation beginning in ten, nine, eight, seven, six, five.”

Nate blinked hard, registering Jake’s sore shoulder and they were dropped back into the simulation. 

\-----

It took five hours and eight runs to get Chuck his Kaiju fight. He and Charlotte pummeled and grappled with Kaiju three times the size of Cobalt Endeavor, taking hits and dealing them out with twice as much fury. Mako and Raleigh, piloting their updated sim of Daimyo Aurora slashed through Kaiju with their brand new plasma sword. Nate and Jake watched this all from the corpse of Gipsy Danger. They’d lasted long enough to earn the veterans’ assistance and fell victim immediately to a crushing blow from a Category I that snuck up behind them as they wrestled a Category IV. 

The other cadets, under Gipsy’s leadership, had been picked off one by one in a tight circle surrounding the Mark VI Jaeger. If they were to survive the simulation, to win it, they needed to keep Gipsy alive and fighting. It worked, but Jaegers dropped like flies in the hour and five minutes it took to get all thirteen deployed. 

All thirty cadets stumbled into the showers, shaking and vomiting from the stress of the simulation. The veteran pilots followed, taking note of those recruits who handled the ghost drift best. None of the partnerships were concrete yet, Raleigh and Chuck had another culling planned at the end of the week. Lambert and Pentecost would make the cut. They made that decision watching Nate support Jake as he leaned heavily against a locker door. Vik and Jinhai would as well, they’d volunteered to be the first in after Gipsy in every run. The two pilots would need a third for their eventual trio, though, they’d need to work on that. 

Mako and Charlotte showered and swanned off back to the Dome with dangerous smirks directed at the collected cadets. The two Deputy-Marshals had quite a bit of work to finish for the day. Chuck and Raleigh made all the recruits hydrate and then took them on a three-loop run around the island. Those that collapsed along the way were carried back to the Academy by a trailing caravan of med-techs. 

The others that managed to hobble their way to the Academy’s steps in their instructors’ wakes were greeted by Commander Quan. He shuffled them back into the showers and then to the mess hall where most of them fell asleep in their trays of food. Med-techs shuffled around this group of twelve, checking them for any signs of brain damage, dehydration, etc…

Two more were carried off for a night in the med-bay. Quan allowed the rest to spend the evening as they chose. Most of the recruits shuffled off to their bunks, ready to collapse from exhaustion. Jake and Nate did not. They made their way back to the simulator bays and pulled up the footage of their final run in the mock LOCCENT. When Chuck and Raleigh found them the next morning, after they both missed morning roll call, the two men were slumped over desks. A single console was queued up with the footage, play count in the corner reading twelve. 

“Come on, sleeping beauties,” Chuck barked. He kicked both chairs out from under the two cadets and let Raleigh be the nice one to take them back to their bunks. A tablet, peeking out from under the edge of one of the desks, caught his eye. When he picked it up, he found page after page of notes tagged to different time stamps for the simulator footage. He checked the name stamped on the back, Lambert. 

Chuck scrolled through the notes, catching references to his own drops and several others, even Knifehead. Lambert’s attention to detail rivalled his best friend’s obsessive knowledge. He made a note to have Mako talk to Mr. Lambert. Bloke might have a future in the PPDC outside of being a Ranger. He joined Raleigh in the cadet barracks and dropped the tablet off on a comatose Lambert’s side table. 

“Charlie Protocol was a bit much this early on,” Chuck said simply as he and Raleigh walked down the halls to their office. Max and Lucy trailed behind them, happy to be on the island with their owners. 

“I don’t think so. These kids think they’re joining a victorious army, but we don’t know when they Kaiju are coming back.” 

“If.” Chuck said, hope clinging to every inch of his body.

Raleigh sighed, “When.”

“Bloody Hell,” the younger man whispered as he opened their office door. “I don’t think I could do that all again.”

“Me either.” Raleigh closed the door once the dogs made it inside. Chuck collapsed into his obnoxiously comfortable chair and Raleigh sat himself on the edge of his desk to lean over his lover. “All we can do is train them until we’re sure they can do it without us.”

“How long will that take, Ray?” Chuck pulled the chair forward so that Raleigh was pinned in by his legs. “We both lost too much to this blood war already. I’m not losing our future, too.”

“I don’t know.”

“Will you go if I ask you to leave Mako behind?”

“Would you leave Charlotte, or your dad?”

“In a heartbeat.”

“I’d leave her if she told me to go. If I knew she could do this without me.”

“Then that’s when we’ll go, eh?” He leaned up and pressed a gentle kiss to Raleigh’s lips. “And not a second before.”


	40. This Is It, The Apocalypse

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh, I may not finish. This week is getting to be ridiculous. 
> 
> Ugh!!!
> 
> I will do my best my loverlies. I swear.

\-----December 29, 2024-----

**0600 HRS, Hong Kong Shatterdome, Hong Kong, China**

Mako Mori looked at the readings Dr. Gottlieb sent her. He was predicting another Kaiju attack within the next twenty-four hours. That wasn’t good. She pulled up Charlotte’s most recent email from Sydney, the Dome was in the final hours of shutdown. The Australian government was using every stalling tactic they could think of to keep the three Jaegers around for as long as possible. Last she heard, they were refusing to cut power to the Dome for six months. The Australians trusted the Wall of Life about as much as their beloved family of Jaeger pilots. 

“Miss Mori,” Tendo Choi’s voice broke her concentration as she messaged Charlotte about Gottlieb’s latest predictions. He hadn’t been wrong yet. “Mako.”

“Ah, sorry Tendo. Um. Mr. Choi.” 

“It’s fine, kid. What’s wrong?”

“Dr. Gottlieb finished his calculations. He predicts another attack in the next twenty-four hours.”

“Shit. Did I get that?” He frantically began sifting through the inbox on his own tablet. 

“Perhaps not. He and Dr. Geiszler are en route with their lab equipment. I asked all the department heads to send me any pertinent data or requests as transfers are made.”

“See, this is why I love you Mako, you’re always six steps ahead of us all.”

She smiled at him and he gave her a playful one-armed hug before allowing a LOCCENT tech to drag him away. Mako quickly forwarded Gottlieb’s new numbers on to Tendo and Djalu Watson in Sydney. Striker’s Chief J-Tech responded immediately with confirmation that Vulcan and Echo’s chiefs were already reading it over his shoulder. The three teams were pushing the transport of the Jaegers back as much as possible. If the Australian government could keep the lights on and the UN at bay, even a Dome in complete shutdown could have all three up and deployed within three hours. 

Mako began her daily check in with all of the various department heads and section chiefs that were arriving constantly. There were many feathers to smooth over and hundreds of extra personnel to reassign. In the middle of sorting out a turf war between Crimson’s crew and one of the salvage crews from LA, Mako’s tablet buzzed with a phone call. She promptly cut the two warring men off and dictated they share the unused Jaeger bay between them, before answering it. 

“Mako,” Her father’s voice grumbled through the poor internet connection. “Can you hear me?”

“Yes, sir.”

“Good. Do you still have that list of cadets who are staying with us?”

She pulled it up on her tablet. “I do, Sensei.”

“I need you to sort through them. I’ve found Raleigh Becket.”

“Where?” Mako’s heart beat a little faster. She was on the list of Academy cadets compatible with Becket. 

“He’s in Sitka. I’ll arrive there tomorrow. The US government is making it difficult for me to get out of Denver, or I’d leave now.”

“Is there anything we can do from here, Sensei?”

“Not about this,” He glared off camera at someone. “But you can start making inquiries. The Sitka stage covers three hundred miles of construction. I’d like to land at the right hub first.” 

“Of course, Sensei.”

“Good. I will see you soon, Miss Mori.”

The call clicked off and Mako ducked into a storage room off to calm herself. All of the work she’d done since graduating, waiting to become a Ranger, it was coming to fruition. She could feel it. Gipsy Danger deserved to have Becket back in her conn-pod. He deserved a chance to pilot her again, to avenge his brother. She pulled up a blank document and put her name at the top of the list. After all these years, she knew which of the veteran pilots she was compatible with, and Raleigh Becket was at the top of _that_ list. 

She pulled up the numbers for all the construction hubs along the Sitka section of the Wall. The useless hunk of concrete and steel was still technically under PPDC purview, but it was run almost exclusively by Thomas and Ian Staughton, under special dispensation from the PDC by Ambassadors Cole and Taylor. She found all the relevant numbers and began making phone calls.

Eight hours later, with the time difference between Sitka and Hong Kong, she’d finally narrowed down three locations where a man of Raleigh Becket’s rough description had been sighted in the last six months. She bullied her way into speaking with the pit bosses and foremen who dealt directly with the migrant workers travelling along the wall. One man finally agreed that he definitely had a guy who looked like the picture she sent working his section, but he left the previous week, heading North to the next hub. 

She was warned not to let the guys up there give her any shit, they weren’t the nicest people and definitely didn’t pay attention to who came and went off the Wall. They were apparently akin to the specialized construction crews of the days before the K-War, without the camaraderie between the low level drudges.

Mako thanked the man and made the call. Twenty minutes of arguing back and forth with an unforgiving and gruff foreman, left her with a definite maybe about some “scruffy blonde dude who kept to himself and sorta looked like that Becket guy.”

The information was forwarded off to her father and Mako set about finishing her list of drift candidates. It would not do to leave a task unfinished simply because Sensei was not ready to let her fight. She would find a way to prove herself and the first step was by doing her job. 

**\-----1945 HRS, Sydney Shatterdome, Sydney-----**

Charlotte hung up her phone. The Marshal was in Denver. Stuck in Denver to be precise and the Gage twins were calling in every favor they had with their old USAF buddies to get him out of Colorado. The US government, pressured by Ambassador Taylor and his power in the PDC, were doing everything they could think of to ground his Jumphawk. 

Her phone lit up again, this time with Ian’s face and she dropped her head against the cool concrete walls of the hallway. It rang through once, then twice as she built up the mental fortitude to deal with her child’s father. Just as she was about to answer it, Herc appeared at her shoulder. He took one look at the face on the screen and snatched the phone away. 

Silencing his daughter with a glare, he answered it and proceeded down the hallway with Max trailing along behind him. Charlotte kept silent, flanking her father, as he argued with Ian about the need for Pentecost to get from Colorado to Alaska. Her steps stuttered at the mention of the two states. There was only one connection she knew between those two places, Gene. 

Gene Williams, the man who saved Raleigh’s life, the man who knew, at any given time, where Raleigh was on the Wall. The fucking Wall. Charlotte growled and kept an unhappy snarl on her face as her father continued to monopolize her phone. When Herc finally made his point, practically shouting Ian down until the bastard hung up on the other end, and turned to face his daughter, he found a near-frothing Charlotte waiting for him. His heart broke with the utter fury on her face. 

“He found him.”

Herc tried to dodge the statement. “Found who, Charlie?”

“Try again, Herc.”

“Yeah,” He ground out, resisting the urge to look away from her and show weakness. “He found him.”

“Stacker wants him in Gipsy?”

“He does.”

“And I’m to stay here? While you lot go off and save the world?”

Herc stepped into his daughter’s space and placed his hands on her shoulders. He’d never get used to her being of a height with him. “No. You’re to stay here while we go off on a suicide mission. You’re staying here to hold the line if we fail.”

Charlotte turned her head sharply away, inhaling deeply. Hansens didn’t, as a rule, cry. Donovan Hansen had fairly well beaten it out of his sons. Angela and Herc were both stoic when it came to emotionally charged situations and so led by example with their children. 

“Charlie,” Herc pleaded. 

“No. No. You don’t get to do that. Not now,” She shoved him away, snatched her phone, and marched off. Herc sighed. 

Max whimpered as she stomped away from them. The poor bastard knew something was wrong with his people and he wasn’t happy about it. The bulldog bumped Herc’s leg and he bent to give him a quick scratch. “I know, Max. I know. Come on, boy. Let’s go find Chuck.”

The dog brightened at the sound of his master’s name and trotted off a little happier after Herc. 

**\-----2345 HRS, Panmunjom Ranch, Wellington, Colorado, USA-----**

Stacker Pentecost wiped a drop of blood away from his nose. The doctors informed him a few weeks ago that the cancer was moving too fast now. He had weeks, at most, before his condition was no longer manageable. A glass of water and box of tissues appeared in his vision as he sat on the sofa. He took them and looked up to see Gene Williams hovering with a look he could only describe as “concerned grandfather.” 

“How long have you got?”

“Not long,” Stacker admitted. “Long enough, I hope.”

Gene hummed and sat down in his armchair across from Stacker. “You’re going to take him back to the front lines and drop him on a suicide mission. Can’t say I’m too fond of that.”

“Mr. Becket was, when he chose to be, one of my finest soldiers.” Stacker took a sip of the water and adjusted his uniform shirt. “When he didn’t choose, he was still one of the best pilots to ever set foot in a Jaeger. I know his history. I’ve lived it myself.”

“And you know that if you point him at the Breach with even half of a good plan, he’ll jump on it and you’ll have someone willing to die to save the world.”

“I don’t ask my people to do anything I wouldn’t do myself.”

“You aren’t climbing into a Jaeger any time soon.”

“I never make assumptions like that anymore, Mr. Williams.”

“You’re sleeping in my daughter’s house tonight because it’s the most heavily guarded building you could find on short notice. Tomorrow you’re going to Alaska to take a young man I love like a son to die on the frontlines of a war that nearly killed him already. I think, Marshal, you can call me Gene.”

Stacker let his lips twitch in half a smile at his tone. Gene’s daughter flitted through the kitchen, checking the locks on the doors and windows. “Horses are all secured for the evening. Your men bunk down alright, Marshal?”

“Yes, they did, thank you Mrs. Fitzgerald.”

“Sarah, please, Marshal. People only call me that just before they call me Lieutenant Colonel. I’ve been out since Trespasser made my job obsolete. So you’ll call me Sarah and nothing else.”

“Thank you, Sarah.” She smiled beatifically and made her way towards the massive ranch house’s staircase. The two men waited until they heard her bedroom door close before turning back to each other. 

“You know why I insisted meeting you face to face for Raleigh’s location, Marshal?”

“I may have an idea.”

“Hmm. I wanted you here because I wanted to see the fellow officer ready to lead his people, not the man on television fighting humanity’s fears.” 

“You gave me his location, Gene.” Stacker said slowly. 

“That I did.” Gene leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees. “I’m an old man, Marshal.”

“Stacker.”

“Stacker. I’m an old man whose seen this country through a half dozen wars and conflicts, who saw his daughter fight in two wars of her own. I’ve got twenty years and as many dead soldiers on my conscience as you do. What I don’t have is the literal weight of the world on my shoulders. You do, and frankly, Stacker, you look it. Raleigh has that same look every time I see him. All of you Rangers do. You know what the monsters we all have nightmares about look like up close. I know we’re losing this war. I know you need Raleigh because he’s the only veteran pilot left alive. I know all these things and I want to know if you think we can do this.”

“We have to do this.”

“That, right there is why I gave you his location. If, for some reason he survives this, you’ll have given him the ultimate act of closure and he can start healing. If he goes down fighting, well, same damn thing. You have to do this to save us all. And not only can he help, he can win this. You know it, I know it. Go, get some rest, Stacker. We’ll get you to Alaska even if I have to call every bush pilot between here and Sitka to get you there.”

Gene stood and clapped him on the shoulder then disappeared down the hall. Stacker remained out in the living room, savoring the utter silence of this little patch of Coloradan wilderness. Sarah ran one of the last private ranches in the Rockies and kept the government from confiscating her land through sheer bloody-mindedness it seemed. 

Here, he could let his mind race without external stimuli to distract him from the mission. He needed Raleigh Becket piloting Gipsy Danger. He knew Mako would demand to be in the Mark III with the disgraced Ranger, knew this would be his last chance to try and protect her from herself. She would be absolutely lethal in combat, he knew that. But he also knew that putting her together with Raleigh Becket was more dangerous than, well he was too tired to think of a metaphor, but the words catastrophic and brilliant came to mind. 

He didn’t want to lose his daughter to this war. But like he told Gene, he wasn’t willing to risk anything his soldiers weren’t and Herc put his kids on the front line daily. Stacker already lost his son, and he’d crafted Mako into the perfect soldier, perhaps it was time to set her loose on their enemy.


	41. I Can Tell By The Look In Your Eye, I Can Tell By The Way You Sigh

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I might just do this. Holy shit. I'm an editing fiend. But not really, because I know I'm missing a lot. I want this shit posted. 
> 
> Smut warning. 
> 
> Have fun witches.

\-----August 31, 2025-----

**0430 HRS, Ranger Ready Room, Level 6, Hong Kong Shatterdome, Hong Kong**

Chuck bounced on his feet as the J-Techs fit the brand new drivesuit armor to his suit. His birthday may have been two weeks ago, but today might as well be his party. On his right, Charlotte rolled her eyes, she was already regretting the early morning launch. Djalu swatted Chuck on the back of the head as he handed him his helmet. 

“Stand still. You’re giving me a headache trying to keep track of you moving around like that,” the Chief J-Tech griped. The smile on his face belied the bite in his tone. 

“Sorry, mate,” Chuck said, smiling. It was the best day of his life. Brand new Jaeger and a Category IV typhoon to test it out. 

“You’re not sorry, but I’ll forgive it this time. Now sit still so Ana can get this piece on.”

Chuck glanced behind him and stood stock still so the suit’s spine could be inserted. The advanced piece of tech hurt like a bitch when it connected to the harnesses in the conn-pod, digging its spines into back muscles to measure nerve responses in real time. 

Djalu clapped him hard on the shoulder once and then shoved Charlotte towards the hall door. The Hansens made the walk alone, in perfect sync, every movement mirrored between them. They reached the hatch to find Herc waiting for them. 

“You ready?”

Neither sibling answered their father, just nodded. Herc returned the gesture and opened the hatch. None of the three were going to put words to what this moment meant. He followed them in and made sure they locked into their new hard light harnesses safely. The wider range of movement translated to faster responses from the Jaeger, making them just that much more deadly. Once they were both secured, Herc smiled at them and walked out. 

At the hiss of the hatch, both Rangers’ shoulders slumped a bit. Charlotte rolled hers and then stood up straight, ready to start the launch sequence. Chuck took a look around, unused to being in the dominant left position. It was a decision he and Charlotte made last minute, not agreeing until they both woke up this morning. She was never, ever going to reach her peak levels of performance again if she ran lead. She’d spent too long out of a conn-od and had too much residual mental instability to trust herself with her brother’s life like that. 

Chuck on the other hand, well, he wasn’t ready. He knew that. Hoped he never felt overconfident in a Jaeger, there be dragons. He hadn’t expected Herc to agree to the switch. Too many years with the drift sharing for them made him forget that his dad trusted him. 

“Cobalt Endeavor ready to initiate drift sequence.” Charlotte’s voice pulled him out of his head. She was looking at him, a small smile on her face. The AI started counting down and the rush of memories that assaulted him when the drift initiated was unlike all the tests. 

_…Breathe Charlotte…_   
_…I’m trying…_   
_...Focus. I’m right here. I’ve got you…_   
_…Charlie…_   
_…I know. Don’t panic…_   
_…You’re an asshole…_   
_… “Charlie! Charlie! Where are you love? Time to come inside!” Angela Hansen swam forward into Chuck’s vision…_   
_…Charlotte, we did it. We got our revenge. Let her go…_   
_…I…_   
_…It’s alright…_   
_…I don’t want to let go. I don’t want to lose her…_   
_… “Mum, why does Charlie leave every day? I want her to stay with me!”_   
_“She’s always right here with you. She’s never gone. You’re her brother. Family never leaves us, not while we still think about them.”…_   
_…I hate you sometimes…_   
_…Feeling’s mutual sis…_

“Cobalt Endeavor drift sequence complete. Drift holding at ninety-six percent compatibility,” The AI informed Chuck as he slammed back into awareness. He shook off the lingering sadness from hearing his mother’s voice and saw Charlotte mimic the gesture in his peripheral vision. 

“Alright Hansens, you ready for a walkabout?” Tendo asked in a frankly horrible Aussie accent. Both siblings cringed at the sound. 

“Give me the bloody comms,” Herc’s voice sounded on the open line. “That was a disgrace. I’ve taught you better than that Mr. Choi.”

Chuck could practically see the wide, sarcastic smile directed at his father from here. “Cobalt, you ready for the big drop?”

“Ready and waiting, Marshal.” Chuck sounded off. Charlotte, smirking and confident now the drift was settled, reached up and pressed the button to begin the launch sequence.

The conn-pod lurched to life and dropped down. Charlotte braced herself, knees bent in the still-new feeling of the hard light harness. They latched on and spun down to secure themselves in Cobalt’s torso with a smoothness they’d never had in Striker. 

Charlotte and Chuck raised their arms, testing the connection to their new Jaeger. The response, always a millisecond behind in the Mark Vs, was instantaneous now. The massive Jaeger rolled its shoulders as the sled began moving it towards the opening Jaeger bay doors. 

The neon lit pre-dawn hours in Hong Kong gave the massive Jaeger a ghostly appearance. Painted the same color as its name, the Mark VI strode out into the storm and disappeared against a backdrop of lightning and torrential rain. LOCCENT erupted in cheers as the scientific instruments installed all along the Jaeger’s body began sending in their reports from the cyclone raging around the robot. 

Inside Cobalt, Chuck was practically vibrating with the thrill of finally being back in a Jaeger. Charlotte was too. The drift held strong as they made a circuit of Victoria Harbour. The early morning fishing boats, completely undeterred by the storm, trailed along in their wake, using the Jaeger as protection from the raging winds. 

Cobalt swaggered past the eager recruits watching from the roof of the Academy on Beijian Dao, heading for deeper water. Chuck couldn’t resist sending his students a cheeky wave that made Charlotte huff out a laugh. The siblings strode out into the murky depths, ready for the silence to overtake them. With a final check of their systems, they closed the hatches and watched the HUD switch over to night vision as the waves closed over Cobalt’s head. 

The quiet stretched on for hours, lulling Chuck and Charlotte into a comfortable headspace they’d never experienced before. Herc or Tendo would check in occasionally, relaying a question from one of the half dozen scientists waiting in LOCCENT. Charlotte was at peace and it made Chuck smile. She was brimming with joy the longer they spent in Cobalt, fascinated by all the new technology she’d helped develop and now could use. There were no lapses into any painful memories and the kernel of rage that fueled them in every previous drift was, not gone, but overwhelmed by their excitement. 

Suddenly, a shadow passed over their head, and a booming call echoed through the conn-pod. The Rangers leapt to attention and whipped around, slowed by water resistance. A pair of shapes circled them, spiraling slowly downward to the sea floor to investigate the unfamiliar shape. 

“Orcas,” Mako whispered over the comms, a bit in awe, as Cobalt’s sensors analyzed the animals. “I didn’t think there were any left.”

The smaller of the two overgrown dolphins broke away from its mother to glide past Cobalt’s head. Charlotte reached up and slowly increased the brightness of the external lights until they could clearly make out the animal’s face. The mother twisted herself around, circling them several times and singing out into the depths. 

A half dozen more appeared out of the depths and the Hansens found themselves at the center of a curious pod of supposedly extinct animals. Herc opened the comms completely as the various biologists began bombarding the siblings with questions. Answering them, and receiving shouted responses, they learned that this was the first group of Orcas sighted in the Pacific since 2020. Everyone thought they’d been wiped out by the toxic Kaiju Blue. 

This group was also breeding, several of the babies now swimming around Cobalt’s arms and legs, chasing each other. Chuck had a passing thought that made Charlotte gasp. She shared a look with her brother and cleared her throat. 

“Will it hurt them if we touch them?”

There was a flurry of excited whispering between the engineers and biologists and Cobalt’s hands twitched with the pilots’ tense excitement. The orcas reacted swiftly to the movement, trilling and clicking as they investigated the Jaegers fingers. Chuck grinned as he heard one scientist shout, “Let them fucking play! It’s bloody good PR if nothing else. Get those cameras on, Cobalt!” Charlotte turned on the external cameras, the AI adjusted them automatically to the low light and the Hansens stopped waiting for permission. 

One of the babies swam close as Cobalt slowly raised its left arm, palm up. Then the whole pod swarmed the moving arms, chirping excitedly. Cobalt ran a single finger down one of the parent’s spines. The orca went nuts, twisting in the water to chase Cobalt’s fingers and rub itself along them. The sensitive neural connection between Jaeger and Ranger meant the siblings could feel every smooth inch of skin. 

Cobalt’s arms raised and its pilots began playing with the orcas, letting them chase down the hands for quick scratches along bellies and spines to delighted warbles. The pod swam up close to the conn-pod realizing the head was where the Jaeger tracked their movements. One of the adults even gave the Jaeger’s forehead a kiss, bumping its nose to the ridge above the translucent glass. Chuck reached out to that one and gave it extra scratches and soon all the orcas were nuzzling their way along the head and shoulders of the Mark VI. Chuck looked at his sister hopefully. 

“No, Chuck.”

“Please?”

“No, you cannot keep one.”

“I hate you.”

The rapt audience watching the Jaeger’s cameras back in LOCCENT chuckled at the siblings’ banter. The orcas were well and truly enthralled by the large machine, swimming frantic circles around Cobalt and goading the machine into belly and back scratches. 

Eventually, they had to stop playing and the siblings turned to head back towards Victoria Harbour, their goals complete and giddy from the unexpected visitors. Chuck even sounded the battle horn a few times, making the orcas scatter and return spouting bubbles and happy noises. As they neared the coastal shelf and began the long climb up, the animals stayed with them, drifting away to the surface for a breath, but always returning to shadow the Jaeger. 

Chuck cooed over the babies as they congregated over Cobalt’s shoulders, swimming hard to keep up with the long stride of the Jaeger. He snapped at those people chuckling over his complete love for his new aquatic friends, making them laugh harder and Charlotte earned herself a swift punch in the shoulder for joining them. The comms switched off after that and the siblings settled into their walk back to shore. It was nearly noon now, and they kept turning to take the long route. 

“I missed this.” Charlotte finally said. “Us. In a Jaeger.”

“I did, too,” Chuck paused. “I wish, no...”

Charlotte smiled at her brother’s stray thought. “Yeah, it doesn’t feel real. We’re out here, in a Jaeger, and there’s no monsters to fight. No wars to win. Just us and the machine. Unstoppable.” 

“Invincible.” Chuck added. Charlotte frowned as his thoughts turned to Raleigh. “Don’t make that face at me.”

“You’ll leave, really?” She asked instead of changing her facial expression. 

“If he asked me today, right now, I’d take the fast way home and pack my bags.”

“We’ve waited so long for this.”

“But it’s not everything we have any more. We have a future, a chance at normality. I, I don’t think I want to give that up, not for anything.” 

“You’d give all this up for him?” Charlotte gestured around at their brand new toy and the raging storm they walked through without compunction.

“In a heartbeat.” Chuck answered immediately, surely.

They didn’t speak for the rest of the return journey. When they walked up onto the sled and felt the legs latch down, both immediately began the Jaeger’s shutdown procedures, ready to exit as soon as the Jaeger docked itself in its bay. The second the conn-pod halted, Chuck was out of his helmet and headed for the hatch, his sister right behind him. 

It opened before they got to it, their fellow Rangers, dogs, and one child all waiting for them. Charlotte swept her delighted daughter up into her arms and turned back into the pod to show her all the new bells and whistles in Mummy’s Jaeger. Mako and the Kaidonovskys followed them, collectively herding dogs and answering all of Stella’s rapid fire questions. 

Herc made to follow them, pausing only to eye Raleigh and Chuck. His son had his arms wrapped around Raleigh’s waist and his face buried in the older man’s neck, despite the odd angle imposed by the drivesuit. He clapped a hand on Chuck’s back and ruffled his hair, earning nothing more than a grunt of acknowledgment which made Raleigh snort. The two men shared a look until Raleigh nodded at Herc and began pulling Chuck along to the showers. 

Clean of relay gel and the odor of hours in a stuffy conn-pod, Chuck let Raleigh lead them back to their bunk. He allowed his lover push him around, maneuvering him around people, doors, etc, as he blissfully enjoyed the piloting high. The only anchor he had was Raleigh’s physical presence. 

When the other man pushed him down onto his bunk and climbed into his lap, Chuck was surprised to find he was half-hard still from the adrenaline. Raleigh ground down slowly, rubbing against him gently and peppering kisses across Chuck’s neck. The younger Ranger moaned with every pass of lips and press of hips. 

Raleigh shamelessly took advantage of Chuck’s altered state of mind, pushing him further and further until the Australian was stripped below him, sweating and writhing with lust. There was a reason Jaeger flies hung out around the Domes after a successful battle, the adrenaline rush and sheer power of piloting one of the machines meant most Rangers wanted to fight or fuck every time they got out of a conn-pod. 

It took quite a bit of self-control to contain those urges, and the longer you were out of a pod, the harder it became to remember how to do it. Months after Pitfall, Chuck was coasting on a tidal wave and Raleigh was more than willing to push him even higher. 

Chuck shouted when his lover’s mouth closed around his cock, completely unable to contain himself as he spilled a few moments later and much too soon. Raleigh pulled off with a satisfied smirk that made Chuck growl and flip him over. The sound of tearing fabric filled the room and Raleigh couldn’t even bring himself to care that one of his favorite shirts was now in pieces on Chuck’s floor when a hand was closing around his dick. 

“I want this in me, now.” Chuck demanded, bottle of lube already in his other hand. 

“What if I want it the other way round?” 

“I’ll fuck you through the mattress later. We’re gonna be here awhile, love,” Chuck grinned against Raleigh’s lips as he slipped one of his own fingers behind him. Raleigh groaned at the sight and bucked his hips. Chuck closed his fist tighter around the base of his cock and laughed at the whimper he got in return. 

Soon, Chuck was bent double over Raleigh’s lap, kissing him as they rocked together, the slide of their bodies deep and slow. He’d surged back to hardness when Raleigh began playing with his nipples and pulling his hair, slamming himself down, not completely prepared, onto the other man’s cock with reckless abandon. 

The punishing rhythm fell away to something much more intense. They rocked together, Chuck completely enthralled with Raleigh’s panting breaths and moans and the wide smile on his face whenever he caught Chuck watching him. This was something his sister didn’t understand, couldn’t because she never had it. The simple need to see someone smile because of you. 

That thought pushed Chuck over the edge, to Raleigh’s delight. The other man flipped them over carefully to rock himself slowly to completion inside Chuck’s completely lax body. The two slumped together, making a token effort to clean themselves off with a stray towel Chuck abandoned on the foot of his bed, before rolling to the center and pulling the blankets over themselves.   
Chuck couldn’t help but smile at Raleigh as they dozed in and out. It wasn’t often he let the sappy shit get to him, but this was, so far, the best year of his life and today capped off the frankly shit start with something spectacular. _Charlotte can fuck off_ , he thought to himself, _I didn’t fight a war for anything but this right here._ He stroked some of Raleigh’s rapidly lengthening fringe off his forehead and caught his lover watching him intently. Raleigh’s hand shot up to clutch Chuck’s wrist when he went to pull away and the blond hauled him in for a kiss. 

“Three years,” Raleigh whispered against his lips.

“Huh?” Chuck managed, he was still floating on his high and the endorphins from excellent sex. 

“Mako thinks it will take three years to get the PPDC completely on its feet and running independently.”

“What does that mean?” Chuck asked, leaning in for another kiss. 

“It means,” Raleigh said, wrapping an arm around Chuck’s waist and pressing himself flush against the redhead’s body. “That in three years I want you to point anywhere on a map and we’ll go.”

Chuck hummed. “Three years. Stella will be eight in three years. You mind if she comes with us? I don’t want her growing up like I did. I don’t think Charlotte ever plans on leaving.”

“I don’t mind at all.”

“Three years is nothing. I can do three.”

“Good.” Raleigh paused, stroking his fingertips through Chuck’s light dusting of chest hair. “I love you. Haven’t actually told you that yet.”

Chuck, hands sliding round to grip Raleigh’s hips, stilled. “I figured.”

When Raleigh looked up to find Chuck smirking at him, he yanked hard on the chest hair tickling his fingers in retaliation. 

“Ow, ow, ow!” Chuck shouted. “Stop that, you bastard!” 

Raleigh giggled. “Deserved it, prick.”

“You love it, me.”

“Yeah, I do. God knows why.”

“Because I’m the best Jaeger pilot alive?”

“Fairly sure that record still belongs to your dad.”

“I’m the most attractive ginger you know?”

“That’d be your sister,” Raleigh said seriously. “What? She is. You’re gorgeous, but she’s a total fucking knockout and you know it.”

“Fine,” Chuck griped and pressed a gentle kiss to Raleigh’s lips. “How about because I’m completely fucking mad for you?”

Raleigh grinned. “Say that again?”

“I love you.”

“I know.”

“You did not just fucking quote _Empire Strikes Back_ at me.”

“I really fucking did.”

“Asshole, I am _not_ Leia in this situation.”

“Sure you aren’t, princess.”

Chuck swatted him and Raleigh’s laugh carried them both off into a fit of giggles.


	42. You Better Stand Your Ground, And Keep Out of My Town, To Live Another Day

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, I'm not going to finish posting these until Sunday at least. 
> 
> Bright side...I FUCKING SAW THE MOVIE IN IMAX TONIGHT AND IT WAS GLORIOUS. 
> 
> It's a pure, action/filler, sequel to our beloved PacRim that pays homage to the original while expanding the lives of our characters quite well. That being said, I've got a few critiques. Nothing serious and nothing that detracts from the pure joyous kaiju vs. jaeger glory that is Uprising. 
> 
> I wish you all fun and happiness with the new movie. Please, please, PLEASE comment with your reactions. I'm already planning a sequel in my head. 
> 
> Bonus: some of the shit I've been hinting at with certain characters can be completely adjusted to fit new canon. I'm gonna go buy the books to double check the details, but my edits on chapter 43 are going to change in light of the new movie.  
> Extra Bonus: NOTHING IN THIS AU IS WILDLY OUT OF CANON!!! SUCCESS IS GLORIOUS!!!
> 
> Enjoy my darlings, have fun seeing the new movie and again, comment below with your reactions. I want to know what you thought!

\-----January 1, 2025-----

**0845 HRS, The Wall of Life, Sydney, Australia**

Stanley Parham stood at the top of the Wall, listening to the sirens. It was his job, for nearly a year now, to monitor the Wall’s integrity along the shoreline. This was the first attack on Sydney in two years. Most people bought the PDC’s assurances that a Kaiju wouldn’t make it through the massive steel and concrete structure, that they were safe behind it. Stanley wasn’t so sure. He looked behind him to the city skyline and saw the people gathering on rooftops, probably filming, waiting for the Kaiju to appear. He thought they were idiots. He may work on the Wall, may have been a part of his construction, but he trusted it about as much as he trusted a tissue to hold back a tidal wave. 

A massive roar echoed and he nearly fell off the edge of the walkway. He turned to see a massive Kaiju, Category III at least, looming on the horizon. His radio crackled to life, informing him that he needed to evacuate, now. He ran along the edge of the wall, the Kaiju swimming fast for the barrier. 

The first impact knocked him to his knees. The second and third made him freeze in terror. The Kaiju had arrived and was right in front of him. The creature’s breath stank of ozone and the foul odor of something rotting. One massive eye looked up at him and the monster roared again. 

Fighter jets began circling over his head, firing their guns and missiles at the monster, trying to kill it. Stanley knew, remembered when Scissure destroyed his home, only a nuke would take one of the bastards out. Helicopters followed in their wake, filming the Kaiju’s assault on the Wall. He looked over his shoulder at the Shatterdome, a gleaming concrete and steel structure, a symbol of hope for most of the South Pacific. 

Already the doors and roof were opening to reveal the Jaegers inside. Stanley struggled to his feet as the walkway crumbled beneath him. He ran and ran, heading to the hatch that would lead him through the Wall to the office. It was a half mile away and the whole structure was fracturing around him. 

The hatch was in sight. He could nearly reach it. The Kaiju roared behind him and a section of the wall gave way. The hatch remained above him. 

**\-----0912 HRS, LOCCENT, Sydney Shatterdome-----**

“I don’t fucking care what it takes, Charlotte,” Chuck shouted at his sister. “Striker needs to deploy, now.”

“They’re blocking me, Chuck. If I let you deploy, they’ll arrest you the second you set foot outside that conn-pod.”

 _"I. Don't. Care._ We can’t risk losing Vulcan and Echo. This bastard’s big and he’s taking the Wall apart like Legos. You’ve got to get us out there.”

“I know, Chuck! Go fucking suit up, I’ll make this happen.”

Charlotte shoved her brother towards the door and returned to hovering behind Marina and coordinating the launch of Echo Saber and Vulcan Spectre. The Jaeger’s pilots were nervous. Category IVs were becoming commonplace and neither team had the brute strength or firepower to take one out by themselves. Striker had been running double duty the last few months with one or both of them as backup, they’d all seen what the big ones could do to a Jaeger. 

Chuck watched his sister work for several agonizing seconds, knowing she’d break every law she needed to get him and his father out there. The Kaiju had already been pounding at the Wall for twenty-minutes, one of the engineers Charlotte brought up to LOCCENT projected the structure would last perhaps another thirty minutes before the Kaiju punched through. 

Ambassador Taylor’s face popped up on one the screens and he immediately lit into Charlotte. They fired back at each other as Chuck ran off down the halls. She had them distracted, had them scrambling, she’d make sure the Jaegers got out to fight. 

This was the first real test for the Wall. Sydney hadn’t had a direct hit in years and its section was one of the first completed, worldwide. It would fail. He knew it would fail. They should have been pouring more money into finding better pilots, building faster Jaegers, not hiding. 

He reached the Ready Room and found his father speaking lowly to the other four Rangers in the Dome. He started stripping immediately, pulling on the under layer for his drivesuit in record time. Werner and Saori passed him, stoic and proud, heading for their Mark IV Jaeger. Saori paused at the door and gave him a confident smile. Chuck returned it, she was just as cocky as he was, deservedly so, without the running mouth to go with it. They’d be fine. 

Hogan and Chris nodded at whatever Herc was saying and they too made their way to the Jaeger bays. Neither of them acknowledged Chuck on the way out, it wasn’t their style. They saved their bluster and spite for the conn-pod. Before a fight, they didn’t speak, just remained in sync, preparing for the drift. 

Herc, already kitted out in his drivesuit, grabbed pieces from the techs and helped Chuck along. He tossed Chuck his helmet and dragged him towards Striker’s pod. They’d wait until Charlotte gave the order to drop. The UN only gave provisional permission to launch Echo and Vulcan if the Kaiju made it through the Wall. 

Chuck ran a gloved hand through his hair as the Mark V’s AI pulled up footage fed in from LOCCENT. The Kaiju, codenamed Mutavore, had already made a massive dent in the Wall. Pieces were flying off and Chuck could see people up on rooftops watching, wondering, filming. 

Herc kept Striker’s comms open, overseeing Marina’s control of LOCCENT while Charlotte argued loudly in the background with Taylor. Chuck stayed silent, waiting for the Wall to crumble. 

At 9:54, almost exactly an hour after Mutavore started swinging, a hole appeared. Then the Category IV’s arms reached through and Chuck threw his helmet on. Herc did the same. They hooked themselves into their harnesses as Charlotte’s voice ordered the big drop for Echo and Vulcan. 

Chuck could hear the Jaeger bay roof opening and the roar of Jumphawks waiting to lift Echo and Vulcan out. He watched and waited as Mutavore tore into Sydney’s shoreline. Herc initiated the drift as the other Jaegers dropped into the harbor. Chuck found himself slammed into memories of Scissure, bombarded by his own memories and Herc’s terrified scramble to save his kids. They finally centered themselves as Echo landed a punch to Mutavore’s head, sending the monster reeling. Silently, they watched as the two Jaegers pummeled the Kaiju. Chuck cheered them on and he could feel Herc beginning to hope. 

Then Mutavore swung back and connected an open palm to Vulcan’s head. It gripped tightly and wrenched the conn-pod up. Chuck could hear Chris and Hogan screaming distantly through their open connection to LOCCENT. Echo darted in to help and found themselves sideswiped by Mutavore’s tail. Charlotte started shouting orders, but all Chuck could hear was roaring silence. They were fucked.

Echo dropped down into a street, scrambling to get to their feet. Vulcan’s conn-pod, now gripped in two of the Kaiju’s massive claws, ripped away from the rest of the Jaeger. Plasma burns covered Mutavore’s body from the assault laid down by the Jaegers but it roared triumphantly and turned on Echo, oblivious to the damage. 

Suddenly, it charged the Mark IV, driving it backwards into a skyscraper with its massive head. Echo fired pulse after pulse of its cannons and threw punch after punch. Nothing stopped the onslaught. 

The conn-pod lurched to life, dropping down to a waiting Striker. Charlotte had enough waiting. The Mark V surged to life and didn’t wait for the Jumphawks. It dropped to a full run straight through the Jaeger bay. The doors, cracked open already to accommodate the chop wash from the choppers hovering on the roof, were pried apart as Striker rushed to Echo’s rescue. 

A single whispered, “No,” from Marina was all they heard as they saw one of Echo’s arms fly into the air above the city’s skyline. Charlotte let out a strangled cry and immediately began barking orders for a rescue for both Ranger teams. 

Striker ran across the harbor, helicopters trailing it. Herc and Chuck didn’t speak, they didn’t need to, they were in perfect sync. Powering the Jaeger out of the water, they began a street by street search for the Kaiju. It was hiding, hunting them. Whatever the scientists argued, all the Rangers agreed with Newt Geiszler, the Kaiju were learning, adapting to them. 

A dark, mottled green-grey arm swung out and caught Striker’s shoulder before it could dodge. The Jaeger threw up its left arm and pulled hard on the wrist, yanking Mutavore out from its hiding spot. The fight was on. Fists flew as Striker pummeled the Kaiju. The monster gave as good as it got, delivering punishing blows to the Jaeger’s head and shoulders, jostling the pilots inside. They grappled for hours, Striker slowly edging the Kaiju towards an open space where it could launch its K-Scunner rockets and take the bastard down. 

Finally, Striker swung quickly and knocked Mutavore back on its hind legs. Herc and Chuck fired the rockets and stepped out of the way as the Kaiju fell to the ground, finally dead. UN vehicles, blocked by the Sydney police, were swarming on the area so the Hansens headed for the Dome. 

They weren’t there five minutes before Charlotte had a J-Tech whispering in his ear. “You two need to head back for Striker now. There’s a cruiser waiting to take you to Hong Kong. The UN wants your heads.”

“Understood,” Herc grumbled. It was then he heard what his son was saying to the eager reporters. He frowned and intervened shutting the interview down and dragging Chuck back towards Striker. 

**\-----0630 HRS, Construction Hub Seven, The Wall of Life, Sitka, Alaska----**

“Where would you rather die? Here, or in a Jaeger?”

Raleigh clenched his jaw and faced Stacker head on. “Yeah. Yeah. I’m in. I’ll do it.”

“That’s good to hear, Mr. Beckett. Collect your things. We leave now.”

\-----

Two hours later, as he boarded a cruiser in Juneau, bound for Hong Kong, Raleigh stopped and looked around. He realized that this was it, this was what he’d been waiting for. He could do this. 

“Mr. Becket,” Stacker called down the deck. “Changing your mind?”

Raleigh hefted his bags onto his shoulder again. “No, sir.”

Stacker’s lips actually twitched up in a ghost of a smile. “Good.”

**\-----1637 HRS, PPDC Cruiser Pitcairn, en route to Hong Kong-----**

“You really need to keep your mouth shut, Chuck.”

“And you need to mind your own business, old man.”

Chuck stalked away from his father, Max on his tail. Somehow he’d not ended up with a change of clothes in their mad scramble to avoid the UN. He was stuck in his drivesuit until they landed in Hong Kong. He hadn’t been back there in nearly a year, it’d be nice to see Tendo and Mako again. 

He plopped himself down on the edge of the deck and leaned against the railing to watch the ocean. They’d arrive in a couple hours and then it’d be all about Stacker’s mad plan to save the world. Bonkers, that’s what this plan was. He didn’t want to go on a suicide mission, but he’d be damned if he didn’t do his damned best to stop these bastards. 

Max nudged his arm and Chuck pulled back to scratch his dog. He didn’t want to die. He wanted to win this war, but with three Jaegers left and a fucking reclamation project in reserve, he didn’t see how they could. Mako wanted into that Jaeger, desperately, and he wasn’t sure she belonged there, not with the rage she carried. 

He let his mind wander until Herc came to find him. They climbed into Striker and walked the Mark V into the Dome. Tomorrow marked the beginning of the end of this war.


	43. Goodbye, Goodbye, Goodbye, and Good Riddance To Bad Luck

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know, I know. Nearly two weeks off my original end date. 
> 
> However, I rewrote Chapters 43 and 44 in light of Uprising. It gave me too many _IDEAS_
> 
> So, here is the revamped Chapter 43. I hope you enjoy it loverlies. I've seen the new movie three times now and my Beta-Buddy and I saw it twice at our local IMAX screen. We were judged hard by the theater staff. I may have had a Gipsy Danger T-shirt on. He perhaps has a blatant PPDC Eagle tattoo on his arm. His wife was also not impressed with us. 
> 
> Please let me know what you thought of the movie. I thought it was a campy, ridiculous, action-heavy follow up to our beloved work of art. It was good in that it was kinda terrible and I loved every moment of it.

\-----December 31, 2025-----

**0845 HRS, K-Science Lab 4, Sub-Level 1, Hong Kong Shatterdome**

Newt gestured grandly at his collection of Kaiju specimens. “These are all the pieces that I definitely need to keep.”

Mako hummed, making a note on her tablet. She looked up to find Newt watching her. “What is it?”

“Nothing, nothing. I’m just…It’s nothing.”

“Newt.”

“I just feel like you don’t understand.”

She sighed and set her tablet down on a nearby table. “I do not understand Newt. Dr. Gottlieb still has nightmares from the drift with the Kaiju. You are not the same either. I cannot, _will not_ , authorize you to drift with that brain again.”

“But Mako,” He started. 

“No. Newt. No.”

“We still don’t know what they want!”

“And perhaps we never will. Until we are prepared to fight another full-scale war, I cannot let you do this.”

“How do I help?”

Mako frowned. “What?”

“You just said it,” He snapped. “No drifting with Baby Otachi’s brain until we’re ready. So, how do I make us ready?”

She considered him for several long moments. Weeks ago, she would have thought Newt was ready to act on their mutual attraction. Now, all he seemed focused on was his research. It saddened her, but did not break her heart. She loved Newt like she loved all of her friends in the PPDC, they were her family. Sensei made them her family. She would protect them with her dying breath. 

Wanting something more than that from Newt surprised her, initially. But, despite Raleigh’s incessant teasing, she let the idea grow. Newt appeared to respond eagerly to the idea as well. Something changed, though, the night he showed her the brain he harvested from Baby Otachi. Despite the drift, it was still viable and Chau arranged for its delivery shortly after he cut his way out of the infant Kaiju. Newt was keeping it separate from his other specimens in a corner of his and Hermann’s shared lab. 

He'd waxed philosophical about the merits of Kaiju physiology and their brains in particular the night of the party, weeks ago. She’d listened attentively, happily, until he brought up the Precursors. They’d argued after that and nothing had been the same since. He was still her friend, still Newt, but he was distancing himself from her in every other way. 

“If you want to make us ready, you find a way to make the Mark VI Jaegers the most dangerous Kaiju fighters we’ve ever seen. Daimyo will be the only Mark VII. I want an army of Mark VIs by 2030. An Army Newt. Herc is leaving. Tendo and I have a five-year plan for the Corps after he does. If you want to help, you make me an army.”

Newt stayed silent, looking hard at the specimens lying around his secondary lab. She noticed the infant Kaiju brain in the corner, pulsing along in its giant test tube. He was right, it was a glorious thing, but it still made her angry to see even a small piece of Kaiju living after Pitfall when Sensei was only a martyr and a memory. 

“I can do that,” Newt finally said. “I can make an army. No problem.”

**\-----1200 HRS, Jaeger Academy, Beijian Dao-----**

Jake surveyed the damage he’d wrought. It was over for sure this time. Mako couldn’t bring him back again. He threw his clothes into his bag while two security guards watched. Nate hovered in the doorway, unsure whether he was welcome. 

Tossing a shirt into his duffel, Jake realized he wasn’t sure if Nate was welcome anymore. He should have known better after the last time to let his friend give him hope. No more. He zipped the bag shut and shouldered it. The security guards let him step in front and Nate jumped out of the doorway to let them pass. Jake decided not to say anything. 

“Jake.” Nate called just as they reached the barracks entrance. 

The security guards stopped when Jake glanced over his shoulder. He looked at Nate a long time then clenched his jaw and let the door slide open. 

“Fuck.” Nate whispered. He slumped against the wall and slid down. Raleigh found him there nearly an hour later and took pity on him. Next thing Nate knew, he was four full glasses of whiskey down and pressing his forehead into his superior officer’s kitchenette counter. 

“I thought this might happen,” Raleigh said. He’d been silent since finding Nate. “He’s nothing like his father. That whole thing with the Mark IV? It was ballsy and incredibly stupid. Stacker kept Mako out of a conn-pod on purpose after that. But he’s still your family, has still been deep inside your head, and you will miss him. It’s fine. You tried. We all did. Jake needs to find his own path. He’d be a great pilot if he found the right motivation. He hasn’t yet.” Raleigh paused. “He will, though. It might take years, but he’ll make it back.” 

Nate took another swallow of whiskey. “I hope so. No one else has been even close to that level of compatibility.” 

“Connection won’t be that good if he comes back. You don’t trust each other anymore. Probably won’t until he’s the only thing standing with you between a Kaiju and death. Until then, Mako will keep an eye on him, don’t worry. Now come on, you can crash in my bunk. Sleep it off. I’ll make sure you’re up for roll call in the morning.” 

\-----January 1, 2026----- 

**1300 HRS, Jaeger Bay, Hong Kong Shatterdome, Hong Kong**

Herc surveyed the crowd in the Jaeger Bay. He wasn’t Stacker, this wouldn’t be an inspiring speech to cancel the apocalypse. This moment was about the future of every person standing in this room. All of them knew, without a doubt, that the Kaiju would return. He hoped most of them would leave the PPDC a stronger, better fighting force before they did. Hoped they’d all be living their lives far away from all of this years from now. He glanced at his kids. Chuck’s freshly blackened eye and the slight frown on his face were the only reminders of Jake’s dishonorable exit from the Dome. Mako, still red-eyed, was practically scowling at everything that moved. She’d tried so hard to keep Jake around this time. 

Raleigh had his back turned to Herc, fingers tapping out a rhythm on his thigh as he accounted for the eleven remaining cadets. Herc read the progress reports on all of them last night. Six more would be gone or reassigned by the end of the week. Drift compatibility wasn’t hard to find, getting cadets who could let go long enough to control a Jaeger was the problem. Hermann had already suggested they start looking for cadets with universal compatibility, able to step into any conn-pod with any other pilot and hold a drift at seventy percent. They’d lose more cadets than they kept doing that, but it would keep the Jaegers going. 

Movement on his left made Herc turn to see his daughter and granddaughter. Charlotte was practically floating on air in comparison to the woman she’d been a year ago. Stella stood at her side, holding her mother’s hand and glaring at all the personnel around her. She looked so much like her grandmother, Herc had to choke back a surprised gasp. Her little face was scrunched up exactly like Angela’s when she was trying to look intimidating. On his wife it was terrifying, on his granddaughter, hilarious. Charlotte caught his eye and motioned forward. 

One last look around at his senior officers, making sure everyone was accounted for, and Herc stepped up to the edge of the riser they’d put in front of Cobalt. He wasn’t climbing up onto the foot of a Jaeger today. Stacker set precedents and everyone else would follow as lesser men in his shadow. Except for Mako, she’d outdo her father, Herc was sure of it. Perhaps Jake would too, if he could figure himself out. He cleared his throat. 

“Afternoon, everyone. We’re standing here today, taking a break from rebuilding this organization and the world, to talk. Now, those of you who know me, know words aren’t my strong suit. I’ve always been a man of action. Stacker Pentecost, he was a man who could do both. He stood right over there,” Herc gestured across the room to where Striker used to stand. All that remained of his Jaeger was a small memorial dedicated to Stacker. A holographic picture someone took during his end of the world speech stared out at the assembled crowd with fierce pride. 

“He stood right over there and told all of you standing here that we were cancelling the apocalypse.” Herc rolled his shoulder, a twinge of pain in his collarbone reminding him of that day. “We lost dozens of Jaegers in twelve years of war and twice as many Rangers. But in those twelve years, we persevered. We won.” 

Herc paused, letting the reporters catch up to him. “We won the battle. Make no mistake, not one person here thinks the Kaiju won’t be back. It may not be tomorrow, five, or ten years from now, but they will be back. It is our job to prepare for that day. 

“The Pan-Pacific Defense Corps is officially its own international military organization. We exist under the purview of the Pacific Defense Committee and in cooperation with our host governments. We are responsible for the protection of every life on this planet." 

The audience’s rapt silence threw him for a moment and he glanced around the front row to find Mako staring at him. Her lips twitched in the ghost of a grin and she gave him a nod. If she thought he was doing fine, then that was all the encouragement he needed. 

“Tomorrow, I am stepping down as Marshal,” He spoke clearly and loudly. This next part needed to be heard. “Vice-Marshal Tendo Choi will take over my position. Rest assured, I am not leaving the fight. The PPDC has been granted the authority to create its own security council. As such, the position of Secretary General has been reinstated. I have been chosen, obviously from a long list of candidates,” the crowd laughed. “To take over that position. The headquarters will be in Sydney. Tomorrow, I take action to ensure that this planet remains ours. Tomorrow, I continue the fight, so that in ten years, my granddaughter can climb into a Jaeger herself, confident she can kick Kaiju ass.” 

Stella let out a little whoop that set the whole crowd laughing. He couldn’t help the wide smile on his face now. Raleigh reached out and grasped Chuck’s hand as his son scooped Stella up onto his shoulder. The image sobered him. There was a picture on his desk, one of the few that survived Scissure, from before Chuck was born, of his family. Angela, blonde and smiling, had her hand wrapped in his as a bouncing Charlotte perched on his shoulder. Scott took the picture, still healthy and whole. Charlotte caught him frowning and looked over, she shot him a sympathetic smile back and then nodded for him to continue. She knew what he saw in them. 

“We’ve done what Stacker asked of us. We cancelled the apocalypse. We’ve begun rebuilding and perhaps parts of the world will never be whole again. But, make no mistake, the people leading us now will not rest until we are prepared to take the fight to the Precursors. They started this fight and they may win battles in the future. All of us here, and everyone who joins us in the future, we will never stop fighting. Never.” 

He stepped back from the edge and let the crowd cheer. Stella dropped down from Chuck’s shoulder and climbed up to join him. She’d worn her brand new Cobalt Endeavor bomber jacket. The blue set her red hair blazing in the lights of the Jaeger Bay and he could hear dozens of cameras snapping pictures. No doubt she’d be the star of every news report on his little speech tonight. 

His family, all of them, swarmed him as he stepped down. The only person who stayed away was Newt. The scientist seemed annoyed, but Herc ignored it when the man broke into a wide smile at the sight of Hermann and Vanessa. His whole demeanor changed and he happily accepted their baby, bouncing little Marlene on his hip as she pulled roughly on his hair. 

Raleigh and Chuck slipped away in the crowd and Herc wondered if they’d make it the three years they planned. This wasn’t the life for them, not anymore. They’d lost everything and done the impossible by surviving the war. Charlotte and Mako, they’d stay. There was nowhere else that deserved their talents and they’d push the PPDC forward by force if necessary. His boys, though, they earned the right to some semblance of normality. 

**\-----Ranger Quarters, Seventh Floor, Hong Kong Shatterdome-----**

“You alright?” Raleigh asked as Chuck paced the floor of the common area. Mako was still downstairs with Herc, earning her paycheck as Deputy Marshal. No one expected them to hang around after the speech, they weren’t needed. If the reporters started asking questions, Raleigh trusted their family to steer them away. 

“I don’t think I am,” Chuck finally said. He collapsed down onto the sofa next to Raleigh and buried his head into his lover’s shoulder. “It’s been a year since Mutavore. That was a shit day.” 

-“Yeah, it was,” Raleigh agreed. “Pentecost showed up on the Wall and practically dared me to commit suicide. Most days I’m still only half sure I did it to win the fight and not just go down swinging. Didn’t really plan on surviving.” 

“But we did,” Chuck murmured into Raleigh’s shirt. They’d both stripped off their uniform jackets and tossed them to the side. Raleigh had loosened his tie and unbuttoned his collar, Chuck’s shirt was half-unbuttoned. 

Raleigh stroked his hand through Chuck’s hair, loosening the gel he’d put in it in deference to the cameras downstairs. “We did.” 

Chuck sat up and half-crawled into Raleigh’s lap. “I can still hear him. Only drifted with him once and he’s still floating around my head, spouting off advice.” 

“Yancy doesn’t shut up some days. They’re our ghosts. We’ll carry them forever.” 

“I fucked up with Jake.” 

“No you didn’t.” 

“Yeah, I did. Everything that came out of my mouth? That was all Stacker. Couldn’t help it, though.” 

“He needed to hear it. Probably not that way, but he needs to realize he can’t live in Pentecost’s shadow. Or Mako’s. He needs to be his own man. A few years out there, on his own, he’ll figure out who he is.” 

“Not sure that person will be Ranger material.” 

“We’ll let Mako sort her brother out. She’s the only one he’ll listen to now.” 

“Still have Stacker in my head shouting me down.” 

“Do what we do best.” Raleigh smiled. 

“What’s that?” 

"Ignore him.” 

Chuck burst out laughing and slumped over Raleigh to bury his head in his neck. The other Ranger took shameless advantage of his position and ran teasing hands over his lover’s torso. Chuck stopped laughing and turned his face to lick a stripe along Raleigh’s jawline. 

“What’s with you today, love?” Chuck whispered. 

“Nothing.” 

“Liar,” Chuck breathed out as Raleigh’s hands dipped down to unbuckle his belt. “This’ll be a third round if you keep it up.” 

Raleigh hummed and kissed him. “I don’t think we need that right now. Just want to touch you.” 

“Is that right?” Chuck asked between kisses. “I think I can handle that, love.” 

“Really don’t think I’ll ever get over hearing you call me that.” 

“Good.” 


	44. Hey, Young Blood, Doesn't It Feel Like Our Time Is Running Out?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here it is, "THE PENULTIMATE CHAPTER!"
> 
> Bum bum bum!
> 
> I had to completely rewrite this after Uprising and a long discussion with my Beta-Buddy. This is what took so long. This chapter right here. I've had Chapter 45 finished for six weeks. This bloody chapter was what killed me. 
> 
> I hope you enjoy it.

\-----January 3, 2025----

**0800 HRS, Kwoon, Hong Kong Shatterdome, Hong Kong**

Chuck watched dispassionately as Raleigh Fucking Becket took apart yet another of Mako’s candidates. Most of the cadets had been reassigned to other positions in the PPDC months ago, so there weren’t very many people available that were drift compatible. 

He knew Mako wanted in Gipsy, knew the possibility was the only thing keeping her sane most days. She didn’t belong there. Not with Becket. Chuck could grudgingly admit the bloke managed to keep in shape working on the damned Wall, but he was slow. The Raleigh Becket of five years ago, the one Charlotte knew so well, was reckless. Calculating ten moves ahead and then barreling through to throw his opponents off their game so he controlled everything.

The man in front of him was no longer so untamed. It was obvious, to every Ranger watching at least, that he’d lost a step. Chuck scoffed and turned away as the third candidate fell to the mats. Poor sod hadn’t even managed a single point against Becket. Mako’s face said it all every time another one hit the ground. She was pissed, knew she could do better. 

Chuck walked away, returning to Striker so he and Djalu could work on refitting the hydraulics in the left knee. Mutavore landed a tough blow on the joint and it’d been stiff ever since. He rounded the corner to find his father heading towards the Kwoon, Max in tow. He dropped down immediately to pet his dog. Sometimes he felt like Max and Stella were the only members of his family he could trust anymore. 

“How’s it going?” Herc said, gesturing towards the Kwoon. 

“He’s a has-been.”

“Chuck,” Herc chided. The younger Hansen scoffed. His father had tried lecturing him on his attitude towards Becket already. He made his mind up about the bastard years ago when he chose to run away rather than stay and fight. Didn’t matter one goddamned bit he was back now. 

“He’s taking too long to drop them. If he hasn’t lost a step, then, I can’t think of a metaphor. You should see Mako’s face, she’s mad as a cut snake.”

Herc sighed. “Stacker won’t put her in that pod.”

“He shouldn’t. Not with Becket. The two of them are volatile.”

“Same could be said of us,” Herc said softly as two techs walked past. 

Chuck clenched his jaw around all the things he only said to his father in the drift. “Yeah, but it’s us.”

“Yeah,” Herc agreed. The smug smile on his face said plenty. “You headed to Striker?”

“Yup.” 

“Good, tell Djalu one of the missile timers is off. He’ll need to check the coding on the AI.”

Chuck clicked at Max and sauntered off with a quick salute to his father. “Got it, old man.”

He couldn’t resist laughing at the muttered, “Don’t call me that,” he heard as he turned the corner. 

\-----January 6, 2025-----

**2345 HRS, LOCCENT, Hong Kong Shatterdome, Hong Kong**

Chuck hung up the phone call with his sister. The cat was officially out of the bag, as his mum used to say. Pentecost hid it from her that Raleigh Becket had returned. She knew he’d found her friend, but he hadn’t told her Raleigh agreed to return. Chuck wasn’t sure what it meant that she didn’t believe he’d actually come back. One look at the bloke and Chuck knew the has-been would’ve returned limping and half-dead before he turned the Marshal down. If Charlotte had lost faith in Becket, Chuck didn’t know what to say. He wondered what the Marshal did to keep it from Charlotte, and why. He wanted to know what Pentecost knew about Charlotte that he didn’t. The look on her face promised a massive migraine for the ailing Marshal. Especially since he’d agreed to put Mako in a conn-pod with the bloke. Chuck knew, _just knew,_ this was going to end badly. 

He loved his best friend dearly, but Mako was unhinged. He wasn’t sure she’d ever be ready to pilot. Not with all that rage inside her head. He at least had the advantage of his father to corral his own anger. Throwing her in with Becket was asking for something to explode. He’d seen the reports from Becket’s test drop in the sims, he was broken. Rabbited in the first two minutes and only barely brought himself around before the simulated Kaiju ripped his Mark IV to shreds. 

That was less than forty-eight hours ago. Pentecost had lost his cancer-addled mind. He was absolutely bonkers to think these two would work out. And now Charlotte knew all about it. He felt a twinge of regret telling her and then not warning the Marshal. But he also desperately wanted her here with him, needed to hear her yelling over the comms as he marched towards his death on this insane mission. He needed something to come back for, needed a reason to fight and survive. 

Mako installed new escape pods on Striker just yesterday, supposedly rated to withstand the megatons of radiation their little present would pump out after they dropped it in the Breach. He damn well hoped it would. Herc knocked on his door and opened it. 

“Time to go, Stacker wants us watching the test.” 

“Of course he does.”

“Oi, I’ll have none of that tone.”

Chuck rolled his eyes, but followed his father out. “This is going to be a fucking disaster.”

\-----

Two hours later, he was proved right. He stormed out of Pentecost’s office and saw red. 

“You two are a goddamned disgrace. You’re gonna get us all killed, and here’s the thing _Rah-leigh_ , I wanna come back from this mission. I quite like _my life._ So, why don’t you do us all a favor,” He reached out and flicked Raleigh on the chest. His sister wasn’t here to stop him, encourage him, whatever. He wanted this off his chest. “And _disappear_. It’s the only thing you’re good at.”

“Stop, now!” Mako intervened. Chuck was surprised. One drift, one, and suddenly she was just like Charlotte, following this _has-been_ around like he walked on water. 

He was a bit more surprised that Raleigh stopped her. If he caught anything about his and Mako’s relationship in the drift, he knew Mako would break him down in a heartbeat. Chuck was also instantly furious that Raleigh thought he had a say in anything involving him and Mako. She was _his_ best friend, not the has-been’s little bitch. He also felt betrayed when Mako deferred to Raleigh. How dare she, Mako knew _everything_ about what the Beckets had done to his sister, how he felt about it. Now she was acting like Raleigh hung the bloody moon. He opened his mouth, knowing he’d need to apologize later, but unable to let this go without letting Mako know exactly how brassed off he was. 

“Yeah, that’s right, hold back your little girlfriend. One of you bitches needs a leash.”

The next thing he remembered was hitting the pipes and steam spraying out to scald the back of his neck. He kept at Raleigh, grudgingly impressed with him. He reassessed that opinion when he found himself pinned to the floor and Herc barreling out of Pentecost’s office to yell at him. 

He caught the smug look on Becket’s face as his father pushed him down the hall and it took everything in him not to turn around and go for a round two. But he stomped off towards the Jaeger Bay, intent on taking his frustrations out on Striker’s hydraulics. 

\-----January 9, 2025-----

**0215 HRS, Ranger Quarters, Level 4, Hong Kong Shatterdome, Hong Kong**

Chuck hesitated in front of Raleigh’s door. He glanced behind him, hoping Mako was asleep. His apology to her would come later. She knew him too well to take his attitude personally. His father insisted he needed to apologize to Raleigh properly. A nod in thanks after what happened just a few hours ago did not make up for his abysmal behavior. 

He itched to leave and go call his sister, tell her everything. Charlotte would yell at him for fighting, yell at him some more for making her mad, then yell again when she found out Herc was hurt. He didn’t want that. Pentecost told him not to tell her anything, to focus on getting Striker ready. He didn’t know for what. The Kaidonovskys were comatose in the med-bay, barely breathing after the beating they took. The Wei Tangs, Chuck swallowed, they were dead, gone. He’d endured a hell of a lecture from the three of them before they dropped. None of them were very happy with him. Hu even punched him, splitting his lip again, when Chuck told him what he’d called Mako. He deserved it. 

The door creaked open in front of him and Mako stepped out, clad in her favorite pajama pants and a blue jumper that looked exactly like the one Raleigh wore just a couple days ago. Chuck swallowed and ducked his head as she stepped down to his level. 

“Chuck-kun.”

“Maki.”

“You should be resting.”

“Too wired. Can’t sleep.”

She reached her hand up and cupped his jaw, turning his head to look at his split lip. “You are forgiven.” He opened his mouth, but she shushed him. “Apologize to me later, when you will mean it. When we survive this. Until then, remember what we are. Who we are.”

He nodded and ducked his head again. She pulled his arm until he was hugging her. Chuck tried not to let the emotions get to him. They never hugged. Physical affection made them both uncomfortable. He caught movement in his periphery and closed his eyes. Of course Becket was watching them, bloke couldn’t let them have a moment alone. Mako pulled back and grinned at him before landing a punishing blow to his gut that doubled him over. 

“You know what that is for, Chuck-kun. Good night, do not wake me up or you will regret it.”

Chuck managed to stand straight as she pointedly closed her door on a smirk and a wink. Trust her to bloody remember his childhood crush. He just hoped it hadn’t come up in the drift or this conversation was going to be ten times more awkward. 

Raleigh still stood in the doorway to his bunk, watching Chuck carefully. He was freshly showered, hair still glistening in the hall lights, and wearing a brand new jumper. Somehow Raleigh managed to make the brand new fabric look rumpled and comfortable, when he knew for a fact that those things took at least three washes to be anything near bearable. Chuck gulped and scrubbed a hand over his face. 

“Come on, let’s hit the mess. I could use a cup of coffee and a snack.” Raleigh said, pulling his door closed and walking off towards the lifts. Chuck didn’t hesitate. 

Next thing he knew, Raleigh was plopping a steaming mug of coffee down in front of him and a plate holding two cupcakes. He glanced behind the other Ranger to see Peggy winking at him and slinking back into the kitchens. He valiantly fought down the blush threatening to erupt across his cheeks and neck. 

“You better take that cupcake or it’s mine. I haven’t had real sugar in years.” Raleigh said, as he stirred copious amounts of cream and sugar into his coffee. 

Chuck huffed and snatched the sweet away. He didn’t really have a sweet tooth, Tim Tams his only exception, but a cupcake sounded great right now. He was barely holding on to the adrenaline that kept him running through the last ten hours. A sugar and caffeine boost was exactly what he needed. Coming out of a conn-pod after a drop like that made his whole body run haywire with the need to _do_ something. 

He gave Raleigh a subtle once over as the man turned his coffee into a milk and sugar monstrosity. He’d been here under a week, but there was color back in his cheeks and he certainly didn’t look half as rangy as he did the day he sat down with Herc at their table. Chuck stood up, to Raleigh’s surprise, and disappeared into the kitchen. He returned with a couple sandwiches as well. Peggy left the fixings out for them. She knew him too well. Raleigh’s delighted face when he returned made Chuck’s gut roil even more. 

“So,” Raleigh began after they’d both tucked into their snacks. “What kind of peace offering am I supposed to get here?”

“I’m not here to make peace,” Chuck frowned. “I’m here to apologize for what I said in the hall. And to say thank you for saving my ass.”

“Hmm,” the other Ranger raised an eyebrow. “You know you look just like your sister when you make that face.”

“I’d really rather not bring her up. Unless you want a round two to that brawl,” Chuck griped. He took a sip of his coffee, letting the bitterness soothe him. “You oughta leave her out of this.”

“Understood.” They sat in silence for a few moments until Raleigh finished his coffee. “So, am I going to actually get that apology?”

“I’m,” Chuck paused and looked up into Raleigh’s face. His mum always insisted that an apology didn’t count if you couldn’t look the person in the eye. “I’m sorry for being an ass to you in the hall.”

“So I’m definitely not getting an apology for anything else?” Raleigh grinned. 

“Don’t push it, _has-been._ ” Chuck groused. Nothing else between them was forgiven, nothing. 

“I’m sorry too, you know.” Raleigh added a moment later. “Whatever it is you’ve gotten from Charlotte, anything, everything I did to make you hate me, I’m sorry.”

Chuck’s head shot up and he regarded the other Ranger warily. “Reckon I can overlook all that if you keep fighting like you have been. I wasn’t kidding, I like my life, shit as it is. I want to come back from this.”

Raleigh regarded him carefully over the rim of his raised coffee mug. “Yeah, alright, I’ll do my best.”

The blank look of hopelessness that flitted across Raleigh’s face threw Chuck a bit. He hadn’t seen anyone appear that lost for a long time. The has-been didn’t come here to win the war. He came to die fighting. “I can live with that.” Chuck finally said, and he hoped it would be true. 

And just like that Chuck let a lot of his shit with Raleigh go. It was hard to hate someone when they were right in front of you, looking like a kicked puppy, and promising to do their best to keep you alive. Three days from now, the earliest the J-Techs projected that they could repair and launch Striker and Gipsy, Chuck knew that Raleigh would push hard to make sure he was coming back.

Raleigh watched some of the tension bleed from Chuck’s shoulders and kept his mouth shut. Yancy’s traitorous voice sounded at the very back of his mind, encouraging him to do something stupid. But, three days out from a suicide run on the Breach, he didn’t think it was all that good an idea to voice his changed opinions of the man in front of him. Especially considering that he’d earn all kinds of hell from Charlotte if she found out. Assuming they both survived of course, which, at this point, wasn’t likely at all. Despite his promises to the contrary. 

\-----January 11, 2025-----

**0435 HRS, Kwoon, Hong Kong Shatterdome, Hong Kong**

Raleigh would’ve liked to think that his and Chuck’s little pre-dawn hours bonding session solved most of their problems. He really thought the kid might’ve let go of some of the shit he obviously carried around as a third party to the Hansen-Becket show that Charlotte and Yancy put on in the glory days. Raleigh, even as a primary player in the little melodrama, still felt like an outsider most of the time his best friend and his brother pretended they weren’t hopelessly in love with each other. 

Then again, he’d only begun to let all that go, to move on from all the pain those happy memories caused him, in the past year or so. Having Gene, Anna, and Steve in his head for two years, convincing him that Knifehead wasn’t his fault, well not totally his fault, only became effective when he lost the three of them as a safety net. He had to believe it or he would lose himself again. 

He couldn’t do that, he thought, as he moved into the twelfth position, he made a promise to come back when he was needed. Yancy piped up in his head, chiding him for the maudlin thinking, and he had to stop and shake him out. They were heading for the Breach tomorrow. He didn’t need his dead brother in his head reminding him of all the reasons he wanted to die fighting. He needed to stay alive long enough to save Mako. He wouldn’t let her die in this war. She didn’t deserve it. 

His traitorous brain strayed to Chuck again. Their latest blow up happened away from prying eyes and ears this time, with only Max as a witness. Raleigh knew the kid didn’t like him, he wasn’t all that fond of the youngest Hansen himself, but he’d made a mistake thinking they’d buried the hatchet deep enough to work well together. Made a mistake thinking that a promise to fight together meant they’d stop fighting each other. 

Now Raleigh had a bruised jaw and a smarting ego. It took a lot to damage him psychologically these days, but Chuck seemed to know which buttons to press without even trying all that hard. The brat had marched up to him in the corridor and hauled him down into a dead end to shout at him about his adjustments to the Jaegers’ AIs. Gipsy’s AI, Yancy lovingly called her Ellen after some voice actress, spouted out some suggestions about Gipsy’s performance and her analysis of Striker’s as well during the Double Event. Raleigh made adjustments, under Mako’s watchful supervision and Tendo’s impressed smirk, to his Jaeger’s code and found that the machine moved just that tiny bit faster in response. 

All he did was relay that same information to Striker’s chief J-Tech, who seemed really fucking excited that the AIs were learning from each other, critiquing performances like they were sentient. Chuck, though, after Djalu made changes to some of Striker’s code, was apparently not so excited to know that it was Raleigh who brought the information around. 

They’d shouted at each other about their respective merits as Rangers until several heads poked around the corner. Then they resorted to whispering vindictively at each other, pushing every button in the book to get a reaction. Raleigh knew it was his fault that Chuck crossed the line, he pushed a toe over it first, bringing up Charlotte. She was their unspoken line in the sand. They’d agreed not to come close to her presence in their lives. Raleigh, furious with exhaustion and Chuck’s goddamned ego, marched right up to the line and kicked over it. 

He stumbled, losing his balance as he transferred back to first position, and threw his bo staff across the room. It clattered against the concrete floors and he dropped to his knees. His head wasn’t on straight. Not after Chuck’s shouted words. They still echoed around his head, drawing all his guilt up. 

“Way I hear it _Rah-leigh_ , it’s your fault your brother’s dead. Seems to me, you can’t say a fucking word about my sister, not when you got your own family killed.” 

Raleigh reached up to prod at the tender place on his jaw where Chuck had punched him before delivering those words. It could’ve been worse. Max had gotten between them when Raleigh slumped against the wall from the force of the blow. Chuck only paused because he’d have to go through his dog to keep hitting the other Ranger. 

 

He heard a noise across the room and looked up to see Chuck picking up his thrown staff, another already in his hands. The kid was stripped out of his uniform, down to cargo pants and a tank. Raleigh briefly considered that it meant something for them to keep finding each other in the pre-dawn hours. Then he let the thought pass at the sight of Chuck’s face, he hadn’t expected to find anyone in the Kwoon at this hour. Regaining his feet quickly, Raleigh composed himself, letting his mask of indifference fall into place. The blank look served him well the last few years when he needed it. Chuck quirked an eyebrow at him and passed him the bo staff. 

Chuck walked to the other end of the mats and sat down to meditate, staff on the floor at his side. Raleigh hovered, unsure of what to do. He definitely owed the kid an apology this time. Finally, he decided, not to interrupt the kid’s meditation, but to join him. Raleigh dropped down quietly, employing all the skills he learned as a middle child to stay silent, and mirrored Chuck’s position on the floor. 

Enough time passed that he’d cycled through a million different versions of the conversation he needed to start here before Chuck moved. Raleigh cracked his eyes open to find the younger man leaning over him, eyes narrowed and body loose limbed, but obviously ready for another fight. He didn’t react, just stood up, staff in hand and they watched each other. 

“Why do I get the feeling you’ve got something to say to me?” Chuck finally asked, hands tensing around his staff as he leaned against it. 

Raleigh swallowed hard. “Cause I owe you an apology. I shouldn’t have told you that shit about Charlotte. That was meant to stay between me and her. You shouldn’t have heard it from me, any of it.” 

“You know she and I have drifted together since,” Chuck started to say Knifehead and rethought it, waving his hands around instead. 

“Yeah. I know. Doesn’t mean anything. I spent a lot of years with her that you didn’t and I shouldn’t hold that over your head. I’m sorry.”

Chuck ducked his head in a quick nod and then looked at the floor. He sighed and then whipped his bo staff up into his hands. “I’m sorry for what I said, too. Reckon you’ve had that thought enough times over the last five years, you didn’t need me saying it. Your brother,” He paused and caught Raleigh’s eye. “He was a good man. I knew that long before Charlotte and I ever crawled in a sim together. He loved her. They were both fucking idiots about it, but they loved each other. And what happened to him, that wasn’t all on you. This war, it’s taken everything from us, we don’t need to beat ourselves for it. That’s what Mako tells me at least.”

Raleigh studied the kid’s face for a long moment. “Mako’s a genius.”

“She is.”

“She’d be all proud of us right now. Talking things out like adults.”

“Well,” Chuck grinned. “That, or she’d be annoyed with us fighting in the first place and kick our asses all over the Kwoon.”

“Option two is more likely. Have you ever been in her head? She’s terrifying.”

“No, but I grew up with her and Jake. That boy is nothing like his father. The only reason he even made it past the first stage of training was because of her. She beat him into shape and then let him loose on the other recruits.”

“Worse than Charlotte?” 

“By miles, mate. She makes Charlotte look well-adjusted and sane.”

“Good, I hoped it wasn’t just me making shit up in the drift.”

“Nope,” Chuck stopped and gave Raleigh a once over. The older pilot quirked an eyebrow as his eyes lingered a bit longer than he thought was strictly necessary. The look on Chuck’s face didn’t change, though, so he was probably imagining things. “You came down to get ready for tomorrow, yeah?”

Raleigh nodded, uncertain where this was going. “I did.”

“Good, we can spar. We’ve both got a lotta shit floating round our heads. There’s no telling what the nerds will find drifting with that baby brain again. They may try something crazy like sticking us in a pod together. I’d rather know now if we’re even compatible, eh, mate?”

“Alright then,” Raleigh took a few steps back and settled into the fourth position. Two drifts with Mako and he was already picking up her signature moves. Chuck grinned and settled into his own position, bo staff held horizontally in front of him. It was a brawler’s position. Raleigh let a feral smile cross his face and Chuck’s grin faltered slightly. “Bring it on.”

Mako found them, sweating and breathing hard two hours later. She dragged them both off to their quarters for a shower and sleep. When they ran into each other again in the Jaeger Bay, both at the mercy of the J-Techs, they didn’t say anything, just exchanged a nod. Around them, the various personnel breathed a sigh of relief. No one wanted to get in between the two. Tendo already passed the morning’s Kwoon footage around. 

They’d pulled out all the stops with each other, laying down punishing blows like the other man was a Category IV and they were holding the Miracle Mile alone. Tendo leaked the footage with the caption: This is why we let Rangers fight monsters. Everyone who’d seen it, even those who knew how affable Raleigh was and the layers beneath Chuck’s ego, collectively gasped at the fury the two Rangers unleashed on each other. 

Whatever happened at the Breach tomorrow, the whole Dome was happy that the two men were on their side.


	45. This Is The Road To Ruin

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm legit sitting in a deli right now, mooching off the free wifi before I go in to work about to cry. This story has taken me very nearly eleven months to write. ELEVEN. 
> 
> PacRim means a lot to me.
> 
> I hope you lot like the ending. I'm gonna go sniffle into my sandwich and bowl of soup now. 
> 
> So long, Farewell, Auf wiedersehn, Goodbye  
> \---Farisya

\-----February 17, 2026-----

**0530 HRS, Ranger Ready Room, Level 6, Hong Kong Shatterdome, Hong Kong, China**

Raleigh kept Mako in his peripheral vision as the techs attached their drive suits. They’d been holding hands since Herc dismissed them from LOCCENT to head for Daimyo’s conn-pod. Neither of them was allowed to watch the diagnostics yesterday. Tendo said he wanted a few hours with the new girl before they went out and took her gloriousness away from him. 

Today, though, Daimyo Aurora was all theirs. 

_“Sensei wa koko ni arubekidearu.”_

Mako’s words startled him a bit. He turned his head as one of the techs jostled him around adjusting the piece on his left shoulder. She looked stricken, showing more emotion here and now than she had in all the months he’d known her. He looked around at the people in the room. He knew all of them. Some were leftovers from Gipsy’s original crew, the others cobbled together from the crews of ten other Jaegers. None of them, he was sure, knew Japanese. 

“Mako,” he whispered, unsure of how to comfort her. 

_“Watashi wa shitte iru.”_

The techs waved them off towards the conn-pod and Raleigh took a moment to hold her close. She was the strongest person he knew, it wasn’t often the grief she carried broke through, and when it did—

_“Watashitachi wa anata to koko ni subete iru. Watashitachi o hitsuyō to suru baai mo aru toki wa itsu demo.”_

She squeezed him tightly and they stepped up into the harnesses. Once hooked in by two more techs, who’d graciously waited for the pilots to have their moment, Raleigh glanced to his left and took in the sight of his partner. 

The black drivesuit, now emblazoned with Daimyo Aurora’s new logo on the shoulder’s and chest, gleamed in the light from the HUD. Mako’s face was set in a calm façade. If he didn’t know her down to the very essence of her soul now, he’d say she looked fine, ready for anything. The set of her shoulders, though, told him everything. She was nervous, terrified of everything they’d shared in their drift testing thus far. Even more, she was scared of this new Jaeger. 

Daimyo Aurora shared quite a bit in common with Gipsy Danger, despite its sleek looks. The conn-pod layout exactly the same. The HUD an updated but near perfect copy. Even the AI was the same, lovingly recreated from the last backup of Gipsy’s systems just before Pitfall. Raleigh could still hear the placid voice counting down his time until self-destruct as he fell through the Breach. Yancy used to say Ellen sounded like the villain in a video game, all even tones and murderous tendencies wrapped into the voice of a slightly robotic sounding grandmother. 

The HUD lit up as Tendo began counting down, along with the AI, til the commencement of the drift. Mako reached across to him and he found himself already doing the same. 

“Three.” Tendo and the AI echoed. Raleigh clenched Mako’s hand tighter.

“Two.” Raleigh pulled Knifehead and the Breach to the front of his mind. He and Mako learned immediately from their failed test to hit each other hard with the painful stuff. There would be no RABITs today.

“One.” 

_“Sensei.”_   
_“Mom.”_   
_“Yancy!”_   
_“You can always find me in the drift.”_

“Drift calibrated.” Mako thought she was imagining things, but the AI sounded smug. 

“Well done, Rangers,” Herc’s voice echoed through the comms. “That broke the record for fastest calibration.”

“Ready to commence field test, Secretary General. Permission to proceed?” Mako responded. Raleigh was grinning next to her. He certainly was smug. 

“Permission to proceed granted, Ranger Mori. Go have some fun in the bay.”

“Any chance we’ll get to play with our new sword today, Marshal?” Raleigh asked hopefully.

“None.” Tendo interrupted. “You are not putting my baby through any ridiculous Tai Chi movements until I’m sure you two won’t do anything stupid.”

“Yes, sir, Marshal Choi, sir.” Raleigh groused back. 

Mako laughed at the image of Tendo in full military regalia Raleigh projected through the drift. She responded with her own memory of him making a J-Tech cry during Gipsy’s restoration. 

“I know you two are mocking me. I can feel it from here.” Tendo muttered across the open comms. “Remember there are rookie pilots here thinking they can get away with this nonsense. I will not have it.”

Both Rangers laughed out loud and Raleigh barely contained his mirth to reach up and begin the disengagement process as the sled finished carrying their Jaeger through the Dome’s doors. “Disengaging clamps,” he said giggling, “now.”

The Mark VII took its first step off the sled with confidence. Mako and Raleigh were keyed into this machine better than with Gipsy Danger. The old Mark III was a blend of the worst parts of their lives. Raleigh lost his brother in that machine, lost a part of his soul. Mako rebuilt it to her standards with the express intent of wreaking terrible vengeance on the monsters who stole her family. Gipsy was also where they redeemed themselves, where they meted out cathartic justice and found each other. 

In Daimyo, a Jaeger they’d designed completely for them, everything that made Gipsy wonderful was balanced by everything they knew they’d need to fight any Kaiju that came through the Breach. The Mark VII blended all the lethal speed of Striker with the sleek power needed to wield a sword and fists equally. Each joint was specially designed to flex beyond human capabilities. The hybrid digital-nuclear core powered three hundred motors per muscle strand and it made Daimyo fast.

Raleigh was eager to test out exactly _how_ fast. Mako rolled her eyes, a gesture he could feel through the drift without even looking at her, but smiled. She tapped out a quick sequence on the HUD, activating all of Daimyo’s considerable power. 

“Daimyo Aurora, commencing field test.” She chirped. 

With a gleeful shout from Raleigh, they took off running. The jumphawks barely kept pace with them as they ran into the waters of Victoria Harbour and towards a still-decimated section of Hong Kong. By the time they reached land, they were clocking fifty kilometers per hour. That speed went up to eightyonce they broke free of the water. They bobbed and weaved around buildings, jumphawks, and news helicopters. 

Satisfied with the new Jaeger’s maneuverability, Mako let an idea float to the surface. Raleigh stilled and Daimyo shuddered to a stop with them. They parried questioning thoughts back and forth long enough that Tendo got nervous. Though the nerves were partially due to the fluctuating drift readings and three slightly intimidating Australians at his back. 

“You alright out there, Daimyo?” The Rangers stayed silent, communicating with each other rather than the outside world. “Mako, Raleigh, please respond. I’ve got some annoyed Aussies behind me and I won’t be responsible for what happens when they jump on the comms.”

Tendo didn’t have to look behind him to know Chuck and Charlotte were shooting him dirty looks. Herc huffed out a small laugh and leaned over his newly-minted Vice-Marshal. “Rangers, report.”

“Everything’s fine, sir. Permission to take a walk?” Raleigh sounded out. The drift readings were completely in sync again, holding steady at ninety-five percent. 

“Destination?”

There was a pointed silence on the other end. All of LOCCENT was uncharacteristically silent. Chuck glanced at his father and saw a sad look on his face. Herc knew what was going on inside that conn-pod, but he wasn’t sharing. 

“The Breach.” Mako’s voice echoed stoically through LOCCENT. Chuck blanched. Charlotte went deathly still. Tendo closed his eyes and then busied his hands plotting out a course. 

Herc looked up to the clock. “Tendo, how long will it take them to get there?”

“If they hook up with the jumphawks it’ll take about three hours. If they walk it, we’re looking at close to seven.”

“We’ll take the hawks half way, sir. If that’s alright?” Raleigh asked. He hoped Herc would say yes. He’d let Charlotte and Chuck play with fucking whales after all. 

“Permission granted.”

Raleigh and Mako grunted out happy replies and set about engaging the special magnetic clamps in Daimyo’s shoulders so the jumphawk squadron could hook up quickly and easily. Twenty minutes later, they were airborne. For the next two and a half hours they chatted with everyone back in LOCCENT, played silly mind games, and traded memories back and forth.

Then, Barnes was radioing down to them and they were dropping to the bottom of the Pacific Ocean. As the screens revealed the deepening darkness of the water outside the conn-pod, the HUD dropped into a soft orange without prompting. Raleigh and Mako both exchanged glances at the unbidden behavior from their new Jaeger. Every J-Tech had stories about the Jaegers coming to life long after their pilots left them. 

“Destination six miles West.” The AI suddenly prompted. 

The two pilots turned to the left and began walking. No one from LOCCENT spoke to them as they neared the Breach. No one dared. Chuck was busy clutching his sister’s hand for dear life. He died down there. No, _he_ didn’t die, _Stacker did._ He could still feel the phantom pain of being seared out of existence by the nuke strapped to Striker’s back. Still felt the agony of leaving Mako behind to finish the job alone. Felt every aching regret towards Jake. Charlotte held his hand tighter. She’d felt all of it from him in the last few months as they cemented their drift. 

Raleigh and Mako were eerily silent as they neared the devastated scene of their final stand. The ocean floor was still scored deep with the marks of their encounter with the three Kaiju. As they neared the Marianas Trench, the doorway between two worlds, they were struck by the darkness of it all. Last time they were here the whole area was awash in blue and orange light from the Breach and Kaiju bioluminescence. 

Daimyo’s floodlights suddenly glinted off a piece of metal and bleached bone to the right. Raleigh engaged their varied scientific sensors and such at Mako’s silent suggestion. She busied herself with setting the external cameras to record the scene. Newt and Hermann would want to see what was left of the Breach. They made their way slowly towards the remains, cataloguing every bit of data they could think of along the way. When they reached the bit of metal and bone, they both gasped. 

“What is it, Daimyo?” Chuck barked through the comms, on edge with the hours of waiting. Herc had gone up to attend a meeting, leaving he and Charlotte with Tendo to monitor the Jaeger’s progress. 

“It is—” Mako started, but choked off a sob. 

“It’s Striker’s conn-pod. What’s left anyway.” Raleigh finished for her. 

They both stared down at the remains of the Mark V Jaeger with sadness. The conn-pod was torn in half from the force of the explosion. Only the left side remained, already colonized by the deep sea creatures that were returning to the area. The Breach’s radiation had slowly killed most of the biodiversity in the Trench, but now that it was closed, life was returning. 

A massive shark swam out of the gaping maw of Striker’s destroyed head and towards Daimyo. It passed silently in circles around the stationary Jaeger, seeming to study the massive machine. It finally made its way back to the last piece of the Mark V, pausing to snatch a large crab off the nearby bisected skeleton of Raiju. 

_“Sayonara, Sensei._ ” Mako whispered to the retreating form of the shark. 

Raleigh found himself mimicking her movements before thinking about it. They leaned forward and picked up the last piece of Striker Eureka and Mako tucked it under her arm. A slow circle of the trench, as they surveyed the battlefield, revealed pieces of bone from Raiju and Scunner scattered about, collecting marine life. 

All of their sensors confirmed the Breach was closed. 

Three hours in the deep satisfied both Rangers’ need to make sure. 

“LOCCENT, we’re headed back.” 

“Ready and waiting for ya, Ray.” Chuck drawled back. 

Raleigh smiled at the tone in Chuck’s voice. He had to be alone, or mostly alone, in LOCCENT sounding like that. Despite all their time together, neither of them was particularly fond of expressing emotion publicly. Especially in the media uproar following their announcement as a couple. Plus, there were too many bets going on about their relationship. The Kaidonovskys kept them apprised of all the running wagers. Showing too much emotion would mean certain people could jump ahead. Sasha thought it was hilarious to screw with the collective minds in the Dome as she prodded Chuck and Raleigh to hug or kiss in full view of cameras or personnel. Aleksis could be trusted to spread disinformation at all times. 

“We’ll be home soon,” Raleigh answered. Mako laughed softly at him. He sent her a very graphic memory of how Chuck woke him up the day before in retaliation, making her gag. Chuck, watching the video feed from the pod laughed loudly. 

Four hours later they were at a depth where the jumphawks could retrieve them. They’d spent most of the day in silence, letting everything they needed to say, to feel, pass along the drift. Today would not be their last in a Jaeger together, but both of them knew their days as copilots were numbered. Raleigh would stay as long as it took for Mako to cement her power over the PPDC and not a second more. The world’s press was already clamoring for Herc to put her on the council. No one seemed to question Raleigh’s complete lack of interest in the politics of it all. Mako wasn’t all that interested in it either, but no one thought she’d be anything other than her father’s daughter. She’d run the PPDC one day, no question. She wanted to continue her father’s legacy. 

By the time they arrived back in the Dome, the news spread. They’d brought Striker home. Still hooked into the Jaeger, the two pilots, once they were sure no large marine creatures were still living inside it, gently lowered the head into Striker’s old position in the Jaeger Bay behind the picture of Stacker. The whole Dome was silent except for the hum of Daimyo’s engines and the various machinery. Everyone held a moment of silence for Pentecost. He’d devoted his life to saving the world after monsters killed his sister. He kept them all going, year after year, loss after loss, purely on hope and spite. 

They walked the Mark VII into its own stall and let the gantries swing forward to lock the Jaeger in place. After they’d disengaged from the drift and made their way down to the Jaeger Bay floor, the two pilots were greeted by their family. Chuck pushed forward to pull Mako into a hug. They shared silent tears for several long minutes. 

When they broke apart, Mako turned to look at her father’s grave. The memorial proposed for the Hong Kong Dome and Victoria Harbour would be its’ final home. It would stand there as a marker to his sacrifice. To all of their sacrifices. 

She glanced over at her partner and saw him leaning his forehead against Chuck’s temple. They wouldn’t stay here long. The PPDC was not where they belonged, not anymore. They’d leave to start a new life somewhere. It would take a while for them to realize this, and they wouldn’t leave before they were sure the Academy was producing the best pilots. Eventually, though, they would go and she would stay behind. 

Movement caught her eye and she turned to face LOCCENT. Newt was walking through the doors underneath Tendo’s domain and into the Jaeger Bay. Hermann limped along beside him, both men wore excited faces. Mako studied Newt, concerned at his manic state. He caught her staring and smiled widely, a bit wild. 

She narrowed her eyes at him but grinned. Hermann grabbed Newt’s arm and started arguing with him about something. Mako turned away, satisfied Dr. Gottlieb had the situation in hand. Whatever had started between her and Newt, it was finished now. He had his research, she had the future to plan. 

Charlotte stepped into her field of vision, holding Stella on her hip. “You look like you’re planning to take over the world over there, Mako.”

“Perhaps I am,” she couldn’t help but snark back. 

“I’d expect nothing less.” The Australian woman grinned. 

Raleigh pulled her away and headed back towards the Ready Room so they could get out of the drivesuits and shower. Relay gel and sweat were never a good combination for too long. The two pilots leaned heavily on each other, not out of grief, but relief, as they made their way through the Dome. Chuck tagged along, a few paces behind, content to watch them. 

Three showers later, relay gel got stuck in Raleigh’s hair and it took two extra rounds of soapy water to detangle with Mako’s help, they were both dressed in the lumpy blue PPDC sweaters that Raleigh adored and cargo pants. Chuck pushed them out of the locker room and towards the lifts. 

“Come on you two, I’ve got something to show you.”

He led them out to the helipads and gestured to the city. Hong Kong was lit up with it usual neon exuberance. It was also the Lunar New Year and the whole city was lit up with fireworks and lanterns as the city celebrated. The day before, the whole of the Shatterdome pitched in to sweep and clean every corner of the Dome. Red paint now adorned all of the doorways and windows. They’d chosen today to launch Daimyo precisely for this reason. As the only Mark VII, they were the pinnacle of the post-Pitfall Jaeger program. Daimyo, as a prototype, would never see combat and was the figurehead for all of the Mark Vis that would follow it. She’d been built on purely theoretical designs and until Gipsy Avenger was finished, she would serve as the PPDC’s mascot. 

Launching her today meant that the eyes of the world were on the PPDC and Hong Kong. It was the first major holiday for China since the Breach closed and with the PPDC headquarters moving to Sydney and the Hong Kong Dome turning into a memorial, this was the last Jaeger the city would see walking in the bay. Seeing the Mark VII off on its inaugural test was also the final test for most of the Dome’s personnel before they moved off to the new facility. Those same people were now migrating outside to light off fireworks they’d cooked up and the three pilots laughed as several batches proved to be inferior in quality. 

“We did this,” Chuck finally said. “We made this possible. We survived.”

Raleigh leaned in to kiss his partner’s temple. “You’re such a sap, Chuck.”

Mako laughed as the two shoved each other around a bit. She hoped they always remained so playful with each other. “Promise me,” she began. They stopped to listen to her. Her tone was serious. “Promise me you will look after each other when you leave.”

The two men jolted. 

“We aren’t leaving, Mako.” Raleigh stated, confused. 

“Yeah, we’ve got the Academy and you—” Chuck began.

“And I am never leaving the PPDC.” Mako said, solemnly. “You two do not deserve this life. You deserve to be happy.”

“We can be happy here,” Chuck insisted even as Raleigh smiled sadly at her. 

“Chuck,” Raleigh interrupted. “We won’t be happy here forever. You said three years.”

Chuck looked back and forth between them both, frowning as Raleigh repeated his own words to him. Standing here with Mako, as the city and their family celebrated the continued existence of the world around them, three years seemed too soon. He’d grown up here, with these people, he never wanted to leave them behind. They were too much a part of him now. “I’m not leaving so long as my family is here. _You_ are my family, Mako.”

“You will if you think I am safe.”

“Bloody buggering fuck! I hate this. I don’t want to leave you, ever.”

“You must look after Raleigh for me.”

“Of course I will, seppo can’t look after himself. He needs me.”

Raleigh punched him in the arm. “We won’t leave until we’re sure, Mako.”

“I know.”

He gathered her into a tight hug. She returned it until the thick muscle of his arms started to suffocate her. 

“You’re squeezing me too tight.” Mako rasped out. Raleigh released her and they leaned their foreheads together, savoring the closeness they’d never found in anyone else. Chuck let them have their moment. He and Raleigh were as close as they could be, but Mako would always, _always_ , be that much closer. They healed each other’s souls. Mako pulled away first to look at Chuck. She drew him in on her other side and her friends, no, her brothers, bracketed her. She felt safe and whole for the first time in years.

Around her, fireworks lit up the sky in brilliant colors. Hong Kong was not only celebrating a new year, but also the continued existence of humanity. Mako would protect that exuberance. She would lead it into a future where the Kaiju stood no chance of taking this planet. 

She now lived to fight the future battles, she _lived_ for the day she could step away from the PPDC content in their ability to fight the Kaiju. If that day never came, well, then she would still die to protect humanity’s future.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Note: I did not translate the Japanese at the beginning because I want you all to go look that shit up.


	46. Author's Final Note

**Author’s Final Fucking End Note**

Readers of We’re Starting at the End, 

We made it. It took me nearly a year, a lot of stress and a frantic last few weeks of editing, but we did it. We made it to the end. I’d like to share my heartfelt thanks to the nearly three-thousand readers that have made me smile and the dozens of you who’ve given me kudos and bookmarked this story since it began in May of last year. 

For those of you who are curious, yes, there will be a sequel. It won’t come for a long while yet, as I’ve got a Labyrinth WIP that I’ve been working on for two years now, nearly three. I also want to give everyone time to process the sequel. I’ve purchased the novelization and the various books that came out alongside the movie’s premiere, but I’ve not had a chance to read them yet. So, yes, I will be merging my AU with the continued canon, but it won’t happen until next year probably. 

This fic would also not exist without the prolific postings of my fellow PacRim writers, of whom I am justifiably jealous. These wonderful authors shaped my entire approach to PR fanfiction and I would never have put fingers to my keyboard without their fantastic stories. So I give thanks and a signal boost as the least I can do for making me smile for five years to the following: GutterBall, Estei, Macx, Gothams_Only_Wolf, Snack_size, Synekdokee, catwrites, WeekendWriter, Xero_Sky, Lizlybear, achilleees, softjohn, StrikersInDanger, Brenda, beachpartybb, resonae, Raine_Wynd, suyari, Amethystina, kaara, davecabbage, jaeger_delta (deltasierra), coyotestango, and nhixxie. 

GO BINGE READ THEIR STORIES!!!!! GO DO IT MINIONS! If you even liked half of my shit, you need to go read theirs. Such a collection of awesome. My favorites are all bookmarked, so go sift through my profile and read them. Please. Go. Now.

On a side note, I’ve got a lovely reader who’s expressed interest in translating this monster into French for me! So, I expect he and I will be working on that for a bit.

My beta-buddy, his wife, and my bestie have all contributed greatly to this fic. They told me more than once that I was insane and writing too much. They shouted me down over shots of Jameson and cards against humanity. Without the three of them, and the eagle eyes of my beta for catching 80% of my mistakes, this fic wouldn’t have gone past the first few chapters I posted all the way back in May of 2017. 

If you have Spotify, I’ve created a profile under my pseudonym, Farisya, where you can go listen to the various playlists I’ve put together for my fics. I will update it as I go along writing new things. The whole WSATE playlist is up now. 

It’s been a long journey, my darlings, and you’ve fucking rocked my world with your support along the way. So, I will leave you off with the complete list of songs that the chapter titles were stolen from and bid you a fond farewell. 

Until next time, 

Farisya

 

Chapter 1: We’re Starting at the End—Alone together--FOB  
Chapter 2: Some people got the real problems—human--Rag’n’Bone Man  
Chapter 3: If I can live through this, I can do anything—Champion--FOB  
Chapter 4: I Cannot Sleep I cannot Dream Tonight—I Miss You--Blink-182  
Chapter 5: Turn Back Time, to the good old days—Stressed Out--Twenty-one pilots  
Chapter 6: Am I coming out of left field? –Feel it Still--Portugal. The Man  
Chapter 7: (Do I Wanna Know) If this feeling flows both ways—Do I wanna Know--Arctic Monkeys  
Chapter 8: You Might not be let down—Hey Jealousy--Gin Blossoms  
Chapter 9: Like Memories of Dying Days, Deafen us like Hurricanes—Savior--Rise Against  
Chapter 10: It’s been a long time coming, and the tables turned round—you’re going down--sick puppies  
Chapter 11: No hesitation, what are we waiting for? –Talk too much--COIN  
Chapter 12: Well its cold, cold, cold, cold inside—Cold Cold Cold--Cage the elephant  
Chapter 13: The High Road is hard to find—High road--broken bells  
Chapter 14: I’ve been roaming around, always looking down at all I see—Use Somebody--Kings of Leon  
Chapter 15: And you might feel invincible, and you might feel afraid—Love is Mystical--Cold War kids  
Chapter 16: And I need something more to keep on breathing for—believe--the bravery  
Chapter 17: Here comes the sun, it’s all right—here comes the sun--the Beatles  
Chapter 18: Hit the Deck, Know the Score They Take you by surprise—war machine--AC/DC  
Chapter 19: You Know The Truth Can Be A Weapon—Legendary--Welshly Arms  
Chapter 20: Eye of A Hurricane, Listen to Yourself Churn—It’s the end of the world as we know it--REM  
Chapter 21: Now I Gotta Contend With The Living Blues—Die Young--Sylvan Esso  
Chapter 22: They’re Breathing Down Your Neck, You’re Running Out Of Lives—Razor’s Edge--AC/DC  
Chapter 23: And We Could Pull This Off Push Away, But You And Me Have Always Been—So Close--Andrew McMahon in the Wilderness  
Chapter 24: I'm worried about the future holds, the future holds I'm seriously worried about Ray—Worried about Ray—The Hoosiers  
Chapter 25: I've given too much of myself and now it's driving me crazy— Save the Hero—Beyoncé  
Chapter 26: Sometimes these walls seem to cave in on me, when I look in your eyes, I feel alive—Blue Beyoncé  
Chapter 27: tragedy has a hold of my mind, but I can see the light between the lines—something to believe in--Young the Giant  
Chapter 28: It’s Easier to Run—Easier to Run--Linkin Park  
Chapter 29: Time to Sink Way into the Blue Dear—Blue Mind--Alexi Murdoch  
Chapter 30: If I Could Make Amends With All My Shadows—I of the Storm—Of Mice and Men  
Chapter 31: Home At Last—Angela—Lumineers  
Chapter 32: Just One Mistake Is All It Will Take—Centuries FOB/ Don’t fear the Reaper—Blue Oyster cult  
Chapter 33: I’ll Find My Own Bravado—bravado—Lorde/ Cause we’ll be alright, we’ll be alright—sleep baby sleep—broods  
Chapter 34: I will not pretend for you—bloody motherfucking asshole—Martha wainright  
Chapter 35: These are the last blues we’re ever gonna have—Bishop’s Knife Trick—FOB  
Chapter 36: I’d trade all my tomorrows for just one yesterday—just one yesterday—FOB  
Chapter 37: I’ll be there to guide you when trouble walks beside you—When you need me—Bruce Springsteen  
Chapter 38: So don’t stop, don’t stop until your heart goes numb—novocain--FOB  
Chapter 39: Roughing up our minds so we’re ready for when the kill time comes—Glory And Gore—Lorde  
Chapter 40: This is it, the Apocalypse—radioactive—imagine dragons  
Chapter 41: I can tell by the look in your eye, I can tell by the way you sigh—love song—AC/DC  
Chapter 42: You Better Stand Your Ground, And Keep Out of My Town, To Live Another Day—Spoilin’ for a fight—AC/DC  
Chapter 43: Goodbye, Goodbye, Goodbye, and Good Riddance to Bad Luck—Goodbye & Good Riddance to Bad Luck—AC/DC  
Chapter 44: Hey young blood doesn’t it feel like our time is running out?—The phoenix--FOB  
Chapter 45: This is the road to ruin—Alone together--FOB


End file.
